A tragic incident unfolded in Indonesia as a Brazilian tourist, who had been trapped for several days after falling off a cliff near an active volcano, was found dead on Tuesday. The victim, identified as 26-year-old Juliana Marins, was a publicist and pole dancer from Brazil. She was part of a group hiking on Mount Rinjani, a popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian country, when she slipped and fell approximately 490 feet down the cliff on Saturday morning, as per Indonesian officials.
Marins’ initial cries for help were heard, and drone footage confirmed her survival after the initial fall. However, rescue teams faced significant challenges in reaching her due to the dense fog surrounding the volcano and other unfavorable conditions. Marins had fallen onto soft sand, which complicated rescue attempts with ropes, according to Muhammad Hariyadi, the head of the local rescue team.
Despite two determined rescue attempts, the teams were unable to reach Marins. The Brazilian government confirmed on Tuesday that after four days of relentless efforts, hampered by adverse weather, difficult terrain, and poor visibility, the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency discovered Marins’ body.
The exact time of Marins’ death remains unclear, as does the status of the retrieval of her body. Marins was a publicist in her home country of Brazil, and her social media profiles revealed her passion for pole dancing.
Marins’ family expressed their grief in a statement, saying, “Today the rescue team checked the location where Juliana Marins was. With much sadness, we have to report that she did not survive. We remain very grateful for all the prayers, messages of love, and support we have received.”
Approximately 50 people were involved in the search for Marins. Following the tragic discovery, the Mount Rinjani hiking trail was temporarily closed to aid the evacuation effort and as a mark of respect for Marins and her family, stated Indonesian Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni.