The mother of Juliana Marins, the 26-year-old Brazilian tourist who died after falling off an active volcano in Indonesia, has shared the final text messages her daughter sent to her before the fatal incident.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Marins was hiking close to the crater of Mount Rinjani on the morning of Saturday, June 21 when she fell. Rescuers found her body on Tuesday, June 24.
Marins’ mother, Estela Marins, disclosed that her deceased daughter sent her the messages when she kicked off her trip to Southeast Asia, The Sun reported. Those messages were shown to the Brazilian program Fantastico.
“Mami, I love you so much. I was heartbroken when we said goodbye,” Marins wrote. “In fact, that’s the only thing that worries me: letting you, papi or my sister be disappointed. Other than that, I’m not afraid of much, much less trouble.”
“I was raised by a woman who can solve any problem and who is not afraid to take the plunge and go after her dreams. I am like that too. I have different desires and dreams,” she added. “I love you all very much! And I will always be grateful for all the support, care and affection. That is what makes me not afraid.”
READ ALSO: Family searches for stranger who saved toddler after falling down waterfall
Located on the island of Lombok and standing at 3,726 meters, Mount Rinjani is the second-highest volcano in Indonesia. Authorities in Brazil said the deceased 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.
Marins’ body was expected to be returned to Brazil on Monday, per Globo. Upon arrival, Brazilian officials were also expected to quickly perform a second autopsy on her to ascertain if she could have been pulled out alive if rescue efforts were expedited.
Marins underwent the first autopsy in Bali, and her cause of death was ruled as trauma within 20 minutes. But drone footage and statements from witnesses have painted a different picture regarding that report, The Sun reported.
Marins was in the company of five friends when she fell from the cliff. Her family claimed the incident happened after she was abandoned by the tour guide.
“Juliana was in this group, but she got very tired and asked to stop for a while. They kept going, and the guide didn’t stay with her,” her sister, Mariana Marins, said.
But the guide claimed that he was “three minutes” away from Marins, and he noticed she had fallen from the cliff when he came back to check on her because she had failed to catch up.
READ ALSO: Body of Kenyan mountaineer who died on Mount Everest to remain on mountain, family says
