Windy Rahma Putri’s body was recovered Friday after friends filmed her fatal fall from an Indonesian waterfall.
Putri, 25, had been bathing in the waters above Robo Waterfall in Harau, a protected nature preserve in West Sumatra, on Thursday afternoon when swift currents swept her over the 65-foot drop. Her friends were recording video as she lay on her back on a rock, capturing the moment she lost her grip and desperately tried to grab one of them before slipping over the edge.
More than a hundred first responders joined the rescue and recovery operation, searching the deep ravine below the waterfall through the night. They located Putri’s body at the bottom of the cliff the following day.
Abdul Malik, head of the Padang search and rescue office, addressed the circumstances of the tragedy. “The victim was reported to have slipped and was suspected of drowning and being swept away,” he said, according to Newsflash.
The recovery presented significant challenges for the rescue team. Authorities deployed a rope system to carry Putri’s body back up the cliffside so it could be returned to her family, Malik said.
The incident has drawn attention to safety conditions at the popular nature preserve, where visitors frequently access the upper reaches of the waterfall. The footage recorded by Putri’s friends captured not only her final moments but also their horror as the accident unfolded in real time.
Robo Waterfall sits within the Harau Valley conservation area, known for its dramatic granite cliffs and multiple cascades that attract tourists and outdoor enthusiasts. The protected status of the region has not prevented visitor access to hazardous areas near the falls.
The recovery effort concluded Friday with the successful extraction of Putri’s remains from the ravine, bringing a grim end to the search that had extended from Thursday afternoon through the night and into the next day.
