The tragic incident involving three bungee jump workers accused of causing the death of a young Brazilian woman has taken a new turn, as interrogation footage of the suspects has now been released. The trio is being questioned about their alleged roles in the fatal incident.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, a 21-year-old aspiring physical education teacher, tragically fell to her death from the Skeleton Bridge in Limeira, São Paulo, last Saturday. Disturbing video footage captured the moment she was reportedly pushed by her bungee jumping instructors.
The newly available interrogation videos reveal the three men discussing their alleged participation in the event and expressing remorse over the tragedy.
Their reactions during questioning varied, with some appearing somber while others seemed indifferent. One of the men, notably still wearing braces, maintained his innocence, claiming he was not involved in the fatal incident.
According to statements made to authorities, Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, who was the instructor holding Freitas from the front, explained that he and 42-year-old Maicon Fernandes Cintra were in charge of securing the rope.
‘It’s him or me who does that,’ he said in the interrogation, which was reported by EPTV.
But then, Egoroff repeatedly insisted that he could not recall any other details of what transpired leading up to Freitas’ fatal fall.
‘I went to the front first,’ he said. ‘After that, it erased it from my mind. I can’t remember.’
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, was tossed off the Skeleton Bridge in São Paulo on Saturday to her death by three workers who have since been arrested, charged and deposed
One of the instructors, 32-year-old Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, insisted that he did not remember what happened before Freitas’ deathÂ
Cintra told authorities that he had been the instructor at Freitas’ feet at the time of the incident.
He explained that the the group’s roles varied when it came to their rope jump operation.
‘In the procedure, sometimes I’m the one who places the rope [on the person], sometimes it’s Felipe,’ Cintra told authorities.
Cintra appeared to be looking towards the ground for most of his interrogation.
The instructor said the jumping equipment was ‘visible’ and that it was difficult to comprehend how the mistake leading to Freitas’ tragic death had not been spotted.
‘It’s us three on the job,’ he said. ‘I can’t understand at what moment I didn’t see the rope.’
Moments later, he added: ‘I simply cannot understand.’
Another instructor, 42-year-old Maicon Fernandes Cintra, told authorities that he ‘simply cannot understand’ how the equipment error that led to Freitas’ death had not been sighted
Vitor de Freitas Gonçalves, 27, was also interrogated by Brazilian authorities as part of the investigation into Freitas’ death
Vitor de Freitas Gonçalves, 27, claimed he had only been called over to help with lifting the woman.
When he was asked where the GoPro camera that Freitas was holding in her hand was, Gonçalves said: ‘Right, yeah. We don’t know.’
Freitas was apparently given a GoPro camera to document her descent just moments before her death.
Authorities believe that the missing camera could have the footage leading up to Freitas’ fatal fall over the weekend.
Local pedagogist Rafael Goulart, who was waiting in line when Freitas was tossed to her death, claimed one of the workers had approached her motionless body after the fall.
‘They were worried about the equipment, either to hide evidence or because of its financial value,’ Goulart told TV Globo.
Andrea Dantas Levy, the police chief in charge of the case, said Monday that the camera may have been taken and that no one had explained where it was during questioning.
‘Honestly, I don’t think it’s still there, given the number of people who came to the bridge later to look for it,’ Levy said.
‘I believe that, unfortunately, someone may have taken the camera,’ she added.
This is a breaking news story. More to come.