Police seek missing footage after woman dies during bungee jump in Brazil

A camera worn by a 21-year-old woman during a fatal bungee jump in Brazil has gone missing, with authorities calling the device a potentially crucial piece of evidence in the investigation.

Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas died on Saturday, June 13, after falling around 131 feet from a bridge in Limeira, São Paulo.

Police previously said the accident may have happened after staff allegedly failed to attach a safety cord before the jump.

Authorities arrested three additional suspects on Saturday, June 20, in connection with the case, according to Brazilian outlets G1 and CNN Brasil.

The suspects — Evelyne dos Santos Gonçalves, 29, and two men aged 25 and 27 — have been accused of allegedly taking the camera de Freitas was wearing and deleting digital content.

Civil Police Delegate Andréa Levy said investigators believe the missing equipment could contain important information about the moments before the woman’s death.

“During the investigation, elements were gathered that indicate possible suppression of evidence relevant to the investigation, especially related to the disappearance of the image capture equipment used by the victim during the jump,” Levy told G1.

A witness, Rafael Goulart, claimed he saw one of the workers remove the camera from de Freitas’ body after the fall.

“I saw the girl on the ground, [I saw] one of the employees removing the GoPro camera from the neck strap of the body that was already on the ground,” he said, according to The U.S. Sun.

Police said the three newly accused individuals were reportedly present at the jump site after the incident to assist with removing equipment. Investigators allege they later fled toward a wooded area and attempted to hide evidence.

However, one suspect’s lawyer, Vitor Aurélio, denied involvement and said his client only assisted after the accident.

“They didn't have a typical or active role in the jump. They only participated at the moment the jump ended,” Aurélio told G1.

He added that the camera’s recovery would be important, saying one of the suspects “saw the camera” after de Freitas fell and that it was in his client’s interest for the device to be found.

The camera has not yet been recovered.

Earlier in the investigation, three other men — Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, 27, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42 — were arrested and charged with homicide with eventual intent in connection with de Freitas’ death.

According to the Associated Press, investigators said the suspects claimed they did not remember who was responsible for attaching the ropes or checking the equipment before the jump.

“The fact is the ropes were not attached to her,” Levy said.

The São Paulo Secretariat of Public Security said the investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine what happened and locate the missing camera.

The device is considered an important part of reconstructing the events surrounding de Freitas’ final moments.