Mount Rinjani stays open to hikers as Brazilian tourist remains trapped near active volcano in Indonesia
Rescuers in Indonesia are racing to find a Brazilian tourist who disappeared after falling near the crater of Mount Rinjani, an active volcano popular with hikers.
The woman, identified by family and Brazilian media as 26-year-old Juliana Marins, was hiking with a group when she vanished around 6:30am on Saturday.
According to Brazil’s foreign minister, she reportedly slipped from a cliff near the volcano’s crater rim.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Indonesian authorities said rescue efforts have been severely hampered by rugged terrain and dense fog. Over the weekend, park officials confirmed hearing Ms Marin’s cry for help.
At the time, she appeared to be conscious but in shock.
Drone footage and videos captured by fellow hikers showed Ms Marins alive on Saturday, sitting and moving in a steep grey slope far below the hiking trail. But when rescuers later descended 300 metres to her believed location, she could not be found and did not respond to calls, the BBC reported.
By Sunday, the drone showed she was no longer visible, and weather conditions, including thick fog, limited the use of thermal imaging.
On Monday, now the third day, rescuers reportedly spotted Ms Marins again, although she had fallen even further down the volcano.
Her family said teams had only been able to descend 250 metres, with another 350 metres remaining, before they were forced to turn back.
Frustrated relatives have criticised authorities, claiming Mount Rinjani remains open to tourists while Ms Marins is still missing without food, water or warm clothing.
“She still has no water, food, or warm clothes for three days!” the family wrote on social media.
Brazil’s foreign ministry has confirmed it is working with Indonesian officials and has dispatched two embassy staff to monitor the search.
Members of Ms Marin’s hiking group described the trek as extremely challenging, with slippery terrain and low visibility before sunrise.
One hiker told Brazilian outlet Globo the group was using “a simple lantern” to navigate the difficult path.
Mount Rinjani, Indonesia’s second-highest volcano at over 3,700 metres, has been the site of past hiking tragedies.
A Portuguese tourist died in 2022, and a Malaysian climber fell to his death in May this year.
