Brazilllian hiker found dead after four-day search on Indonesian Volcano Mount RinjaniKimberley BraddishThe NightlyWed, 25 June 2025 6:02AMCommentsComments
A Brazilian tourist who went missing after falling from a cliff while hiking Indonesia’s Mount Rinjani has been found dead, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
Juliana Marins, 26, was last seen early Saturday morning when she slipped from a narrow section of trail on the 3,726-metre active volcano, located in West Nusa Tenggara province on the island of Lombok.
Despite initial signs of life, including screams for help and drone footage showing her conscious and moving, rescue teams struggled for days to reach her due to dense fog, steep terrain, and worsening weather conditions.
“After four days of work, hindered by adverse weather, terrain and visibility conditions in the region, teams from Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency found the body of the Brazilian tourist,” Brazil’s government said in a statement.
Head of local rescuers Muhammad Hariyadi explained that Marins had fallen off a cliff but not into the volcano’s crater, noting that soft sand in the area made it difficult to retrieve her using ropes. Fifty people were involved in the rescue operation, which included the deployment of three helicopters and the use of thermal drones to try and locate her.
Marins was hiking with five friends when the accident occurred. According to her sister Marianna, “She didn’t know where to go. She didn’t know what to do. When the guide came back because he saw that she was taking too long, he saw that she had fallen down there.”
The group’s local guide reported that Marins slipped at a narrow section of the trail and lost her balance before plunging into the ravine. “Juliana was initially visible from the cliff after the fall, but we lost visual contact once the fog rolled in,” said Gede A Mastika, Head of Search and Rescue.
Rescue teams first located Marins at a depth of 150 metres, but she had slipped further to 500 metres (1600 feet) down the sandy cliff face by Monday morning.
Your cookie settings are preventing this third party content from displaying.
If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings.
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.
Indonesian Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni announced that the Mount Rinjani hiking track would be closed to facilitate the evacuation and out of respect for Marins and her family. The incident is the latest in a series of accidents on the mountain, with local media reporting that several tourists, including a Malaysian hiker last month, have died after falling from cliffs in recent years.
Mount Rinjani is Indonesia’s second-highest volcano and a popular destination for adventure tourists. The volcano has a history of eruptions, with significant activity recorded as recently as 2010. The tragedy has renewed concerns about safety on Indonesia’s volcanoes, following a deadly eruption at Mount Marapi in December 2023 that killed at least 23 hikers. Despite bans and restrictions, many tourists continue to access hazardous areas.
Marins’ family had issued urgent appeals for additional support during the search, saying, “Juliana has been missing for over 2 days on Mount Rinjani, in Lombok, Indonesia. She needs URGENT rescue! Her life is depending on that!” Two experienced local mountaineers with specialised gear were sent to the site to aid in the effort, but the difficult conditions ultimately hampered the rescue.
The recovery of Marins’ body brings a tragic end to the search and highlights the dangers faced by hikers on Indonesia’s volcanic peaks. Indonesian and Brazilian authorities are now working together to return her remains to her family.
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails
Read more on The West Australian
