Search operations are underway in Indonesia to locate a Brazilian tourist who went missing while hiking near the crater of Mount Rinjani, an active volcano. The missing individual has been identified as 26-year-old Juliana Marins, who disappeared around 06:30 local time on Saturday (23:30 GMT Friday) while trekking with a group.
Reports indicate that Marins fell from “a cliff that surrounds the trail next to the volcano’s crater,” according to Brazilian authorities. Despite the challenging conditions, rescue teams have been deployed to locate her, although efforts have faced obstacles due to the rugged terrain and poor visibility caused by fog.
Rescue operations face challenges
Authorities from Mount Rinjani National Park shared on social media that rescuers had heard Marins’s cries for help on Saturday morning. While she was reportedly in a state of shock, she appeared to be safe at that moment. Footage captured by drones and other hikers circulating online suggested that she was alive, seen sitting and moving on grey soil, well below the hiking path.
However, when rescuers descended 300 meters (984 feet) to reach her location later that day, they found no sign of her and were unable to elicit a response when they called out. By Sunday morning, drone surveillance showed that she had moved from her previous location, complicating the search efforts further as thick fog continued to hinder the use of thermal drones.
Family expresses concern over ongoing hiking
On Monday, rescuers located Marins once again, but they were forced to halt their operations due to adverse climate conditions. Her family reported that the rescue team had made only limited progress; they had managed to advance 250 meters down the volcano but still had 350 meters to cover to reach her. They expressed frustration, stating, “while Juliana is NEEDING HELP! We don’t know the state of her health! She still has no water, food or warm clothes for three days!”
In response to ongoing concerns, Satyawan Pudyatmoko, an official from Indonesia’s forestry ministry, confirmed that the hiking route remained open. He noted that the decision was made after assessing that closing it would disrupt evacuation efforts and create chaos for other climbers who had traveled long distances to reach Mount Rinjani. “Climbers were cautioned and directed not to approach the evacuation site,” he added.
As search efforts resumed on Tuesday, Marins’s family utilized social media to update the public on the ongoing rescue mission. Members of her hiking group described the trek as particularly challenging, with one stating that conditions were “really hard” and “it was so cold, it was really, really tough.” Another member noted that Marins was at the back of the group during the hike, navigating difficult and slippery terrain in low-light conditions.
The Brazilian foreign ministry reported that it is in contact with the Indonesian government and has dispatched embassy personnel to oversee the rescue operations. In light of past incidents on Mount Rinjani, where hikers have lost their lives due to falls, authorities stress that safety should be the top priority for climbers. Mount Rinjani, standing at over 3,700 meters, is a popular destination among tourists and is Indonesia’s second tallest volcano.