A craving for adventure cost a young woman her life. In the Brazilian city of Limeira, a 24-year-old who had come to do a rope jump on the Ponte do Escaleto trail was released off the bridge — except the safety rope was never attached to her body. She plunged around 30 metres straight down and died on the spot. According to TrendKia, the staff of the company organising the activity had failed to fasten the safety rope properly, and that single lapse proved deadly.
How the accident unfolded
The tragedy took place on the morning of Saturday, 13 September. Based on eyewitness accounts and video of the incident, two people lifted the woman and let her drop from the bridge. Within seconds of releasing her, those present realised that the safety rope was not connected to her at all. The realisation set off screams and panic across the area.
The final moment caught on video
People at the scene recorded the entire episode on their cameras. The footage clearly shows that the moment the two men lift the woman and release her over the edge of the bridge, the onlookers grasp that she is falling through the air with nothing holding her. Watching this, the crowd begins shouting frantically. After the fall, bystanders performed continuous CPR on the woman until the ambulance arrived, but her severe injuries left no chance of saving her.
Three arrested, two suspects flee into the forest
According to the military police, a total of six people were brought to the station for questioning in the case, of whom three have already been arrested. The police report states that when officers reached the scene, two people were standing beside the victim. During questioning, the moment one officer moved to the other side to help with the rescue effort, both suspects seized the chance and bolted towards the forest. Additional patrol units and a police aircraft were then deployed to track them down.
Pushed off without any safety check
According to police documents, three people released the woman off the bridge without carrying out a proper safety check or using the necessary safety equipment. Investigators believe the accused deliberately took such a dangerous risk — one that carried a real possibility of death — and that is exactly what happened. Officials also revealed that several serious accidents, some of them fatal, had occurred at this very spot before.
Municipality to sue the federal government
Following the accident, the Limeira municipality has announced legal action against the federal government. The municipality argues that the responsibility for monitoring, maintaining and controlling access to the Ponte do Escaleto bridge lay entirely with the federal government. The administration claims that it had sent several official letters demanding safety measures since 2025, yet no concrete steps were taken. The municipality said that, after the death of a young woman, this negligence has now become 'unbearable and unacceptable'.
