LIMEIRA — Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died after rope-jump instructors at a bridge in Limeira, Brazil, tossed her off without securing her safety equipment. Three instructors were charged with homicide in connection with her death.

A video showed two instructors lifting Freitas into the air while a third instructor observed. Freitas tumbled to her death with no safety ropes attached to her equipment. The three instructors told investigators they could not recall who was responsible for checking her equipment. Police in Brazil stated that the instructors were not licensed to operate at the bridge.

Officials in the city of Limeira reported that they had made the bridge inaccessible. Limeira Mayor Murilo Félix said the federal government had neglected to maintain the bridge despite years of requests from local authorities. City officials have met with federal representatives to work towards cutting off access to the bridge. Rope-jumping is not regulated by any legal authority in Brazil.

Shannon Stowell, CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, discussed the general regulatory environment for adventure activities. "The default is that there are not a lot of specific regulations simply because there's such a wide variety of activities," Stowell said. A global market study by the Adventure Travel Trade Association indicated that the adventure travel industry grew from $683 billion in 2017 to $1.16 trillion in 2024. The study also noted that 67% of international travelers are open to adventure travel.

Ute K. Finch, general manager of Kapalua Ziplines, characterized the incident as "That's just sheer negligence." Finch said, "It's just heartbreaking — it didn't have to happen."