Brazilian Hiker’s Dramatic Fall Sparks Massive Rescue Effort on Mount Rinjani
A massive search and rescue operation is underway on Indonesia’s active Mount Rinjani volcano after a Brazilian tourist fell while hiking near the crater. Juliana Marins, a 26-year-old woman, was with a hiking group when the incident occurred early Saturday morning.
Ms. Marins reportedly fell from a cliff adjacent to the trail near the volcano’s crater rim around 6:30 am local time on Saturday, plummeting a significant distance towards the crater area. Members of her hiking group described the challenging conditions at the time of the accident, noting poor visibility before sunrise, freezing temperatures, and slippery, difficult terrain that required reliance on a single lantern for light. Ms. Marins was hiking near the back of the group with their guide when the fall happened.
Battling Terrain and Weather: The Search Timeline
Rescue teams were immediately deployed but have faced significant challenges due to the volcano’s extreme, difficult terrain and persistent thick fog and adverse weather conditions.
Saturday: Rescuers initially heard Ms. Marins’s screams for help and believed she was safe but in shock. Drone footage and other clips circulating online also appeared to show her alive on Saturday, located on grey soil estimated to be approximately 300 meters (about 1,000 feet) below the hiking path. A vertical rescue team attempted to reach this initial location but were unable to find her when they descended.
Sunday: By Sunday morning, drone footage indicated she was no longer at the initial spot where she was sighted. Efforts to use thermal drones were also hampered by the dense fog covering the area.
- Monday: Rescuers managed to locate Ms. Marins again on Monday. She appeared to have fallen even further down the treacherous slope. However, challenging climate conditions, including ongoing fog and weather fronts, forced rescue efforts to be paused. According to her family, rescue teams had advanced 250 meters down the slope but had to retreat with approximately 350 meters still left to reach her position.
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Family’s Urgent Appeal and Park’s Caution
Ms. Marins’s family has been actively involved, closely monitoring the situation and sharing urgent updates via a dedicated Instagram account, which has garnered substantial attention (amassing over 400,000 followers by Monday, according to reports). They have voiced desperate concerns about her health, highlighting that by Monday, she had been without water, food, or warm clothes for three days.
The family has also publicly criticized the park management for allegedly keeping the trail open and allowing other tourists to continue hiking the same route where the accident occurred while Ms. Marins was in urgent need of help. The family has contacted the Brazilian embassy in Jakarta, which is reportedly mediating contact with the tour company that organized the hiking group.
Brazilian authorities, including the foreign ministry, are in touch with the Indonesian government and have sent embassy employees to monitor the rescue operation closely. An official from Indonesia’s forestry ministry emphasized the critical importance of climbers prioritizing their safety while hiking on the volcano. Mount Rinjani National Park authorities have confirmed the ongoing evacuation process and issued a strong caution urging all climbers planning the Rinjani trek to remain vigilant, ensure they are thoroughly prepared, and prioritize safety due to the inherent risks of the climb, particularly in challenging conditions.
Mount Rinjani: A Challenging and Popular Trek
Mount Rinjani, standing over 3,700 meters (more than 12,000 feet), is Indonesia’s second-tallest volcano and a highly popular destination for hikers and tourists seeking adventure. However, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers associated with trekking on the demanding terrain of an active volcano, especially near its crater. The park has unfortunately experienced previous fatalities involving falls, including a Portuguese man in 2022 and a Malaysian hiker in May 2023.
As of Monday, rescue efforts remained temporarily halted due to weather conditions, leaving the fate of the trapped Brazilian hiker uncertain and underscoring the immense challenges faced by rescuers in the desperate bid to reach her.
