Latest news with #Marins
West Australian
17-07-2025
- West Australian
Mount Rinjani claims another victim: Second horror fall on Indonesia's deadly volcano in weeks
Another hiker has fallen on Indonesia's Mount Rinjani, just weeks after a young Brazilian woman died on the same treacherous trail, raising fresh concerns over safety on the active volcano's steep and unforgiving terrain. Swiss climber Benedikt Emmenegger, 46, was descending the mountain with his daughter and a local porter on Tuesday when he slipped on a steep slope at around 11.25am. The fall left him stranded, unable to move and in need of urgent help — eerily echoing the fate of Juliana Marins, the 26-year-old Brazilian tourist who plummeted to her death in June after falling into a ravine during a group hike. But unlike Ms Marins, Mr Emmenegger was rescued in time. 'We, along with the medical team, have already moved to provide assistance,' said Yarman, head of the Mount Rinjani National Park. Dramatic footage shows Mr Emmenegger lying on a mat, wrapped in a gold thermal blanket, with his daughter kneeling beside him. Rescue teams administered first aid at the scene before stretchering him to a helicopter evacuation point, reported. 'The helicopter has been prepared and has flown to the evacuation point. Hopefully, the weather cooperates,' Yarman said. Authorities have not yet confirmed the extent of the Swiss climber's injuries. He had reportedly set out to reach the volcano's famed sulphur lake, Segara Anak, via a hazardous route known to be particularly risky during humid or rainy conditions. Mount Rinjani, located on the island of Lombok, is Indonesia's second-highest volcano and a magnet for tourists, though increasingly one with a deadly reputation. Standing at 3,700 metres, the site has claimed lives and caused serious injuries due to its unstable slopes and unpredictable weather. Last month's death of Ms Marins prompted criticism from her family, who accused Indonesian authorities of 'serious negligence' during what they said was a bungled rescue effort. Although Ms Marins was spotted alive by a drone after falling 500 metres into a ravine, fog and difficult terrain delayed efforts to reach her, and she died before help arrived. Mr Emmenegger's survival offers a stark contrast — and a rare lucky break on a mountain that has fast earned a deadly reputation.
The Star
17-07-2025
- The Star
Mount Rinjani: Adventure turns to tragedy
The death of 26-year old Brazilian Juliana de Souza Pereira Marins at Mount Rinjani in Indonesia recently could have possibly been avoided. Allegedly, she had wandered off by herself in the dark, then slipped and fell at Cemara Tunggal, believed to be one of the most treacherous sections of the trail. No one is certain of what had really happened in the wee hours of June 21. The place she fell was slightly above Pelawangan Sembalun (2,639m), the rest stop and camping site for climbers before their final push to the summit. Climbers normally start their ascent at 2am from there in order to catch the sunrise on the summit of Rinjani (3,726m), Indonesia's second highest peak. It is said that Marins fell 300m down the ravine and was discovered by other climbers and guides at around 6.30am. At about 10am, a Malaysian climber named Xiao E Ching and her friends, who were descending the mountain, came across the group. Since Xiao had a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone with her, the group asked if she could use it to help locate Marins. Xiao and her friends made two attempts flying the drone before finding her, and then they flew the drone back and forth a few more times to send Marins a message, and to make sure she stayed awake. Unfortunately, the drone ran out of battery soon after. According to Xiao, in the two to three hours that she and her friends were there, there were several attempts to contact authorities, rescue teams and even Marins' family, though Xiao also said that connection on the mountain wasn't great. Xiao uploaded a clip from her drone footage on her Instagram page after she descended, with a detailed description of what took place when she was there. A photo taken on June 23 by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency showing rescue workers attempting to evacuate Marins at Rinjani. — Photos: Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency/AFP Indonesia's Search and Rescue (SAR) team was heavily criticised for their purportedly 'slow' actions. According to reports, when the team arrived, they descended to where they believed she was located but could not find her. She also did not respond when they called out to her. On Sunday morning, park authorities said in a statement that because of thick fog and worsening weather, rescue efforts were stalled as the thermal drones used to locate Marins could not function properly. On Monday, the team finally located Marins about 300m from where she was first found. Unfortunately, bad weather again stalled rescue efforts. On Tuesday, rescuers managed to reach Marins after descending about 600m down a ravine, but she was no longer alive. Finally, on Wednesday, authorities managed to retrieve her body. During the ordeal, news of Marins' fall spread like wildfire. Even Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto's official social media accounts were reportedly inundated by calls for quick action. To be fair to the rescuers, Rinjani is a tough and unpredictable mountain. Like most developing countries, Indonesia does not have rapid-response SAR teams stationed on the mountains, or one that is equipped with state-of-the-art rescue technology and supported by aerial and ground assets. Rinjani is a monster despite its beauty and majesty. It is the pride of Indonesia. The area that makes up the Rinjani National Park is indeed a natural wonder. For me, the skyline is postcard-perfect and the vistas are unparalleled with anywhere else in the world. The Pelawangan Sembalun Crater Rim is also one of nature's most beautiful places. These are just some of the reasons why thousands of people choose to scale the mountain, or at least attempt to do so. However, Rinjani is not an easy climb, and can be a 'killer', especially to inexperienced hikers. For me, it is probably the third most dangerous mountain to climb in Indonesia after Gunung Raung (3,332m) and Piramid Bondowoso (1,521m). There are three routes or jalur going up to Rinjani: Senaru, Torean and the popular Sembalun, which is the route Marins and her group had taken. The routes merge at Pelawangan Sembalun, the gateway to the summit. I agree that the weather there is notoriously unpredictable, and that this caused the rescue mission to lag. But I also think that most of the time the SAR team was hindered by a lack of proper equipment as it would take time to bring up necessary tools from 2,800m below. These days, mountain climbing is seen as more of a 'social media activity' than what it used to be – an outdoor adventure sport. Every other climber can be seen recording themselves doing the trek, either with their phone, camera or even drone. Sometimes, some climbers even film themself 'live' and giving commentary to their audiences. It's the trend, the in thing to do. Everyone wants a piece of this adventure, which makes for great content on social media, and the 'likes' and comments that come with it. I noticed that even some of the SAR team members were recording their every move. Clips were shown on television too, showing all the action, drama and even banter. One of the volunteer rescuers, hailed as a hero, was on every channel. It's little wonder that the Brazilian public was incensed. The team took four days to retrieve Marins' body; the results of the autopsy in Indonesia further angered them. According to the Indonesian autopsy report, Marins died 20 minutes after her fall but Xiao's drone footage showed that she was still alive at around 10am, almost four hours after the fall. A second autopsy was done in Brazil at the request of Marins' family. Yes, everyone can climb Rinjani, or any other mountain for that matter. There is no prohibition to climb Rinjani, even if you have never even climbed a hill before. But Rinjani is crowded. At least 100,000 people attempted to climb the mountain last year – that's an average of 8,000 people a month. There are many companies offering a variety of climbing packages but in most cases they don't tell you the truth about this 'adventure of a lifetime'. Unlike most mountains in Indonesia, you are exposed to the elements of weather early on in Rinjani. Strong winds, rain and the scorching heat can be punishing to any climber. As you go further up, the sandy grounds become tough to walk on, as are the pebble trails. Fatigue will slow you down; the sun will beat you down, too. The wind can be atrocious, and when it rains, it pours. This is when the trail will become dangerously slippery. I went through hell attempting to summit Rinjani two decades ago. My friends and I were beaten by the elements, but not without first trying our hardest. I remember that it rained for two days – we retreated after breaching the 2,700m mark. We were just happy that we were safe. Marins will probably be forgotten someday, like many who have perished or gotten seriously injured there. But people will still flock to Rinjani for the extreme challenge and experience, and to create content for their social media. And hubris, too. But one should never take Rinjani lightly. The views expressed are entirely the writer's own. Johan Jaaffar is an avid trekker and mountaineer. He celebrated his 70th birthday at the peak of Gunung Batur in Bali, Indonesia in 2023, and trekked the world- famous Langtang Valley trail in Nepal last September.
The Diplomat
14-07-2025
- The Diplomat
Who Is to Blame When Things Go Wrong on the Slopes of an Active Volcano?
The recent death of the Brazilian hiker Juliana Marins has led to accusations of Indonesian incompetence, and even threats of legal action. The question in the title of this article has been asked of the Indonesian authorities following the tragic death of 26-year-old Brazilian hiker Juliana Marins last month. Marins had been hiking Mount Rinjani, Indonesia's second-highest volcano, when she fell in the early hours of the morning on June 21. The volcano is very popular with travelers who flock to the island of Lombok, where it is located, to trek to the summit and admire the sunrise views and stunning Indonesian vistas. Horrifyingly, the aftermath of the fall was captured by passing hikers, who flew a drone down to where she was located around 200 meters down the mountainside and shot footage of her sitting in distress, appearing disoriented and injured. They had apparently heard her screaming for help and using her flashlight to try and attract attention. Quite how she ended up there has been the subject of much scrutiny, although it appears that she became tired after hiking for several days and decided to separate from her guide and the rest of her hiking group. They chose to press on to the summit without her, and at some point while she was alone on the mountainside, she fell into a ravine. Opinions about what should have happened next vary. Marins' family felt that she should have been rescued immediately, although the Indonesian authorities maintain that they descended to 200 meters, where she was last seen on drone footage, but could no longer locate her. Most likely, she either tried to climb up or down the mountain to find help, and fell or slipped further to around 600 meters, where she was found deceased due to injuries sustained from the second fall. It took the Indonesian authorities four days to find and evacuate Marins, outside of the 72-hour window that rescuers aim for, and after which survival rates drop dramatically. This was due to the fact that the weather on Rinjani kept changing rapidly, and this, coupled with limited visibility, made it challenging for rescuers to attempt a vertical rescue down the mountainside using ropes or to reach Marins by helicopter. Understandably, Marins' family back in Brazil were highly critical of the rescue operation and accused the Indonesian authorities of incompetence. However, it takes around a day to hike to the place where Marins fell and, once authorities discovered that she had fallen further than predicted, from 200 meters to 600 meters, additional equipment was needed to reach her, which had to be brought up the mountain from base camp. There were also three helicopters on standby, but none of them could reach Marins due to the terrain and rolling fog. When things go wrong in Indonesia, it is worth remembering that they often go wrong in places far from help, amid inclement conditions and with extreme terrain, and rescuers regularly risk their lives to save others. In May, a Malaysian hiker also died on the mountain after falling into a ravine on Rinjani, and there have been a number of reports of hikers slipping, breaking bones, and needing to be rescued in recent months. To understand just some of the challenges, the point nearest the summit of Rinjani, which sits at 3,726 meters above sea level, is made up of sand and loose rocks, meaning that hikers sink into the terrain and slip backwards as they try to reach the summit. The final push to the peak takes travelers along narrow trails with sheer drops on each side, like the one Marins fell down. It is also worth bearing in mind that Rinjani is an 'active' volcano and, in 1994, an eruption triggered a deadly volcanic mudflow which killed 31 people. Local guides have long spoken of the dangers and the need to be physically fit before attempting to summit the mountain, yet still there persists a school of thought that trekking on Mount Rinjani is not an extreme sport. According to an Indonesian autopsy, Marins died of blunt force trauma, likely from hitting rocks as she fell from 200 to 600 meters, and would have died within about 20 minutes. There were no indications of hypothermia or other issues like dehydration. However, this has reportedly not prevented her family from threatening to file a lawsuit in conjunction with a Brazilian non-governmental organization, alleging negligence on the part of the Indonesian authorities for not rescuing Marins sooner. The issue was even discussed on the sidelines of the BRICS High-Level Conference in Rio de Janeiro, which took place during July 6-7, with the Indonesian side insisting that Indonesia and Brazil continue to maintain 'good relations' despite the threats of legal action from the Marins family. It also prompted a response from Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra, who responded to reports that the Marins family wanted to sue the Indonesian government through the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights by saying that this would be impossible as Indonesia is not a forum member. Instead, the Indonesian authorities have suggested a joint investigation into Marins's death in conjunction with Brazil, which seems a far more appropriate and even-handed response to the tragedy. This untimely death of a young woman on the trip of a lifetime across Southeast Asia is deeply sad, but trying to apportion blame in a situation where rescuers battled for four days amid treacherous terrain and extreme temperatures to evacuate her is perhaps not the best course of action. It is also perhaps not wise for this to devolve into an international spat between Indonesia and Brazil. Sometimes an accident is just that – an accident – and one that occurred in a hostile environment on the side of an active volcano where presumably everyone was cognizant of the risks. In such a situation where people engage in extreme sports in remote areas, is there really anyone to blame if things go wrong?
The Star
07-07-2025
- The Star
Climbing should never kill
Treacherous descent: Rescue workers attempting to evacuate Marins, who fell into a ravine on Mount Rinjani, Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara. — AFP The safety standard of Indonesia's tourism industry has come under intense international scrutiny following the tragic death of Brazilian tourist Juliana De Souza Pereira Marins. On June 21, Marins, 27, fell while climbing Mount Rinjani, the country's second-highest volcano, situated on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara. Her body was recovered four days later from a ravine approximately 600m deep near Cemara Nunggal, a narrow and precarious section of the trail close to the summit. Initial drone footage taken shortly after the fall showed her sitting upright partway down a 200m-deep slope, indicating she had survived the initial impact. However, when rescuers reached the site later that evening, she was nowhere to be found. An autopsy conducted at a hospital in Bali on June 26 concluded that Marins died from internal organ damage and bleeding caused by injuries sustained in the fall. She was believed to have died within 20 minutes of a second plunge into a deeper ravine. Despite the search and rescue team's relentless efforts from day one, including navigating treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather, public outrage remained unabated. Many Brazilians took to social media to condemn what they saw as Indonesia's inadequate rescue system, insisting that Marins did not die simply because of the fall, but due to neglect. Most recently, the Brazilian government has signalled its intention to pursue international legal action over the case, formally requesting the Federal Police Superintendence in Rio de Janeiro to investigate possible negligence on the part of Indonesian authorities. Marins' life might have been saved if help had arrived sooner. This was affirmed by Abdul Haris Agam, popularly known as Agam Rinjani, an experienced tour operator and volunteer who played a key role in retrieving Marins' body. Having taken part in numerous evacuation efforts on the 3,726m mountain, Agam said Marins' rescue could have been carried out soon after her initial fall had essential equipment, including ropes, been available at critical points along the trail. He also pointed to the lack of proper rescue training among the mountain's tour guides and porters. The 36-year-old further revealed that no helicopter rescue drills have ever been conducted along hazardous trails, despite similar accidents having occurred in the past. The Indonesian government pledged to improve standard operating procedures for climbing Mount Rinjani and other popular hiking destinations across the archipelago. However, superficial measures alone will not be enough. This effort must go hand in hand with broader reforms in tourism management, including limiting the number of visitors to prioritise safety. In the aftermath of the Rinjani tragedy, many hikers have criticised Indonesia's tourism system for prioritising commercial interests over the safety of its visitors. By contrast, Mount Kinabalu in neighbouring Malaysia is widely regarded a model of responsible management. The number of climbers is capped at just 120 per day, far fewer than Rinjani's 700-person daily limit. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
Sky News AU
07-07-2025
- Health
- Sky News AU
Autopsy reveals hiker Juliana Marins' cause of death after falling into active volcano in Indonesia - and introduces a puzzling timeline
Chilling new details have emerged about the death of a Brazilian tourist who tragically plunged to her death while climbing Mount Rinjani in Indonesia. The body of Juliana Marins, 26, was found last Tuesday after she fell near the summit of the 12,200-foot volcano, prompting a frantic, four-day-long search. An autopsy revealed Marins died of 'blunt force trauma' that caused massive internal bleeding and killed her within 20 minutes, according to 'She died very quickly from her injuries,' forensic specialist Dr. Ida Bagus Putu Alit told the outlet. 'I could see that the worst [injuries] were related to the respiratory system and there were wounds to the chest area, and especially the chest and the back,' he said. 'These injuries damaged the internal organs,' he added. 'We saw a huge amount of bleeding in the chest cavity.' Alit also mentioned that Marins suffered a head injury, but that was not her primary cause of death. Marins was hiking with a group when she disappeared at 6:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, June 21, around Mount Rinjani – falling off a cliff surrounding a trail and plummeting 490 feet. Initial 'screams for help' from Marins were heard, and drone footage showed her still alive after her first fall. But rescue crews were unable to reach her because of the thick fog engulfing the volcano and other adverse conditions. When search teams finally reached her, she was dead and had plummeted nearly 2,000 feet from where she first fell. Experts believe the publicist and dancer from Rio De Janeiro may have fallen a second time, leading to the fatal injuries. Her body was evacuated from the mountain last Wednesday and taken to Bali Mandara Hospital for examination. Since her body had already been moved and stored in a freezer, Alit estimated her time of death to be 12-24 hours before the autopsy, on Wednesday, which did not correlate with the rescuers who claimed she had no signs of life on Tuesday/ Marin's family still isn't satisfied and has rejected the initial autopsy findings and requested a second autopsy back in Brazil, the outlet said. The young adventurer was backpacking across Southeast Asia, visiting Vietnam and Thailand before arriving in Indonesia for a dream trek, Before the trip, she sent a heartbreaking final message to her mother. 'Mami, I love you so much. I was heartbroken when we said goodbye,' the message read. '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 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,' she said. Marins was buried at a funeral service Friday in Rio De Janeiro. Originally published as Autopsy reveals hiker Juliana Marins' cause of death after falling into active volcano in Indonesia - and introduces a puzzling timeline
