The family of the Brazilian woman who tragically passed away after being trapped in an active volcano for four days has shared their grief.
Juliana Marins, aged 26, fell from a cliff near Cemara Nunggal while on her way to the summit of Mount Rinjani in Indonesia on Saturday, June 21.
Juliana, who was traveling through Southeast Asia by herself, was reportedly hiking with a guide when the accident happened. It’s said she requested a rest, but the group proceeded without her. When the guide returned, they discovered Juliana had fallen off the cliff.
On Tuesday, June 24, it was confirmed that after several attempts to rescue her, Juliana had passed away. Tereza Cristina, a member of Brazil’s Federal Senate, expressed her condolences on Twitter.
She wrote: “The entire Brazil cheered and prayed that the rescue would arrive in time to save the young woman from Niterói, Juliana Marins, alive. Unfortunately, they could not save her. Very sad.
“Our condolences to her family and friends. And may the Brazilian government, through Itamaraty, demand an investigation of the facts and the punishment of those responsible in Indonesia.
“In practice, Juliana was left behind twice: on the dangerous trail and after she fell off the cliff.”
Juliana’s family conveyed their sorrow on Instagram after it was confirmed the rescue was unsuccessful.
They wrote: “Today, the rescue team managed to reach the place where Juliana Marins was. With great sadness, we inform you that she did not survive.
“We remain very grateful for all the prayers, messages of love and support we have received.”
Hikers familiar with the challenging Indonesian trail have shared their experiences, with one individual describing it as ‘really hard’.
He mentioned to Brazilian TV network Globo: “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.”
An initial search for Juliana had to be halted earlier in the week due to unfavorable conditions but resumed when possible. Unfortunately, it was too late.
Gunung Rinjani National Park noted in a Facebook update that Juliana had been ‘successfully monitored using a drone, in a position stuck on a rock cliff at a depth of 500 meters and visually motionless’.
The park also mentioned, “Two rescue personnel were deployed to reach the victim’s location and check the second anchor point at a depth of 350m (1,140 ft). However, after observation, two large overhangs were found before reaching the victim, making it impossible to install the anchor. The rescue team had to climb to reach the victim.”