“Just a Fatality”: Arrested Instructor Breaks Silence, Defends Bizarre Post-Tragedy Actions at Skeleton Bridge
LIMEIRA, SÃO PAULO — The ongoing investigation into the devastating 130-foot fatal plunge of 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas has taken a contentious new turn. On Tuesday, June 16, one of the three arrested extreme sports instructors broke his silence, offering a highly controversial defense of the crew’s actions leading up to—and immediately following—the deadly drop.
In a video statement released by the news outlet Metrópoles, 32-year-old instructor Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff attempted to reframe the catastrophic operational failure as an unavoidable tragedy.
Deflecting Blame: “A Fatality”
Despite bystander video clearly showing Maria Eduarda being launched while her primary safety lifeline lay completely unattached on the wooden platform, Egoroff stated he “still does not understand how the tragedy occurred.”
Most infuriating to the public and the victim’s grieving family, the 32-year-old classified the horrific event as a “fatality”—a term often used to describe an unavoidable act of fate rather than a case of gross human negligence. Legal experts note that this specific phrasing is a common defense tactic aimed at distancing the suspects from involuntary manslaughter or reckless homicide charges.
The “Rescue” and the Uniform Controversy
Egoroff also used the Metrópoles interview to address the explosive eyewitness allegations that have painted the crew as cold and calculating.
Witnesses previously reported to TV Globo’s EPTV that immediately after the fall, the operators did not panic but instead acted “like machines”—stripping off their company shirts, packing up gear, and allegedly removing the victim’s GoPro camera before attempting to flee.
In his defense, Egoroff detailed his version of the “rescue” attempt, claiming that his actions were focused on reaching the victim at the bottom of the rocky canyon. He provided an explicit justification for the removal of his clothing, attempting to explain away the terrifying allegations of a cover-up. While the exact details of his alibi regarding the clothing remain under intense police scrutiny, investigators are heavily cross-referencing his claims against the stark reality of the missing GoPro and the testimonies of bystanders who claim the crew was preparing to abandon the scene.
A Desperate Defense or Legal Strategy?
Egoroff’s testimony has only poured fuel on the fire of public outrage. By refusing to explicitly take accountability for the forgotten carabiners and instead classifying the un-tethered drop as a “fatality,” the suspects are drawing intense ire from the Brazilian public.
As the Civil Police continue to search for the missing action camera that recorded Maria Eduarda’s final seconds, Egoroff’s public statement marks the beginning of what promises to be a bitter, highly publicized legal battle over whether this was a tragic accident, or a case of criminal malice and obstruction.
Mum of woman who died in bungee jump without rope shares ‘pain and longing’
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died after falling 40 metres from Ponte do Esqueleto, in BrazilCredit: Google
The mother of a 21-year-old woman who died in a rope jumping incident in Brazil after instructors failed to attach her safety equipment has shared her “pain and longing” over her death.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas fell an estimated 40 metres (130ft) from Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned bridge in Limeira, about 92 miles north of São Paulo, when instructors allegedly failed to attach her harness.
Footage of the tragedy appears to show de Freitas being carried in the air by three men, after she reportedly asked to be launched “aeroplane style” for the jump.
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Rope could be seen on the ground, and unattached, behind the instructors as they proceeded to throw de Freitas from the bridge in the chilling video.
Valdenia Rodrigues shared a photo of her daughter on social media, writing alongside it: “That damn rope took you forever from me.
“My beloved daughter, you left and here there is only pain and longing. I love you forever.”
Valdenia Rodrigues paid tribute to her “beloved daughter”Credit: Facebook
Brazilian police investigator Andrea Levy told journalists that three men were arrested and could face manslaughter charges over de Freitas’ death.
“They do not remember whether they forgot to attach (the ropes), or who was supposed to do it, or who failed to check. But the fact is, the ropes were not attached to her,” Levy said.
The men were detained following a custody hearing, where the judge classified their conduct as gross negligence, according to Brazilian media.
A camera worn by de Freitas during her fall has also not been found by police, with suggestions it was taken from the scene.
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The men said de Freitas’ death was an accident, it was reported.
De Freitas was buried on Sunday morning in Jandira, Greater São Paulo, where she lived with her family.
A nurse who tried to help de Freitas after the incident told Brazilian news programme Domingo Espetacular that she had initially survived the fall, but was hard to access in the rural area under the bridge.
Rayza Dias attempted to give her life-saving care, but said she had a weak pulse and was breathing heavily.
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