Juliana Marins, the Brazilian tourist who fell off an active volcano in Indonesia on Saturday morning, was found dead by rescuers on Tuesday. Per BBC, Marins, 26, was hiking close to the crater of Mount Rinjani when she fell, and she was in the company of five friends at the time.
Located on the island of Lombok and standing at 3,726 meters, Mount Rinjani is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia, Face2Face Africa previously reported. The popular tourist location also attracts hiking enthusiasts.
Authorities in Brazil said the 26-year-old fell from “a cliff that surrounds the trail next to the volcano’s crater.” But rescuers initially had challenges locating and getting to her because of the challenging terrain and foggy weather, authorities in Indonesia said.
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Her family took to social media to announce that rescuers ultimately managed to get to her on Tuesday, but she was found dead.
“With great sadness, we inform you that she did not survive,” Marins’ family said. “We remain very grateful for all the prayers, messages of affection and support that we have received.”
Marins traveled to Thailand and Vietnam on a backpacking trip before she made her way to Lombok Island, Indonesia, per BBC. The 26-year-old and her friends were with a guide when she fell off the cliff.
“It was really early, before sunrise, in bad visibility conditions with just a simple lantern to light up the terrain which was difficult and slippery,” a climber who was part of Marins’ group told Brazilian TV network Globo.
Another climber also described the climb as “really hard,” adding that “it was so cold, it was really, really tough.”
Indonesian authorities said that initial attempts to rescue Marins were thwarted by the challenging terrain and foggy weather. On Saturday, however, Marins was heard shouting for help, Mount Rinjani park authorities disclosed. They also said she wasn’t in danger during that period, but she was seemingly in a state of shock.
Videos that were shared online and by Brazilian news outlets also showed Marins down the cliff on Saturday. She was seen in a sitting position and making movements, seemingly indicating that she was still alive.
Rescuers were, however, unable to locate her later on Saturday. That was after they made a 300m (984ft) descent to the spot they thought she was at, BBC reported. They also tried to get her attention, but there was no response from her.
Park authorities said that drone footage on Sunday indicated she had disappeared from that spot. They also said their rescue efforts and operation of a thermal drone were being stalled because of thick fog.
Marins was eventually found by rescuers on Monday, but she had apparently descended deeper, her family said, adding that “climate conditions” had caused those rescue efforts to be halted.
Despite her predicaments, the 26-year-old’s family said that the park was still operating, and the route in question was still being accessed by hikers.
Marins’ death comes after a Malaysian tourist met the same fate while attempting to climb Mount Rinjani in May, Reuters reported. There have also been several other reported deaths at the location.
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