Rescue workers were racing on Tuesday to reach a woman who fell hundreds of feet while hiking on an active volcano in Indonesia and has been unreachable for three days.
The woman, Juliana Marins, a Brazilian in her 20s, was climbing Mount Rinjani with a group, including a guide, when she fell on Saturday morning, according to her family. The Indonesian authorities said on Monday that a female Brazilian tourist, whom they did not identify, was on the mountain, and had fallen about 1,600 feet. She was motionless, they said, citing drone footage.
On Tuesday, the authorities were preparing to send rescuers in a helicopter, equipped with 2,000 meters of rope, to reach Ms. Marins, said Muhamad Hariyadi, the head of the search and rescue office in the nearby city of Mataram. He described the operation as “very risky.”
Situated on Lombok, the Indonesian island just east of Bali, Mount Rinjani is the country’s second-highest volcano at 12,224 feet. It is popular for its panoramic views of Lombok and the surrounding islands, particularly at sunrise. It also draws tourists eager to see the stunning, deep blue volcanic lake nestled within its caldera, roughly 6,500 feet above sea level.
“We did it for the view,” Ms. Marins said in a video that she sent to family members and friends while on her hike. It was later released on an Instagram account publicizing her plight.
In another video, a fellow hiker filmed heavy fog that was surrounding the mountain and dozens of tents. That hiker also said, tongue in cheek, that they’d made the climb “for the view.” Ms. Marins is seen chuckling.
Members of her family said they learned of her plight through social media and from other tourists. Her sister and a friend have said that Indonesian rescue workers were initially unprepared and had no proper equipment for reaching her. They have also accused the Indonesian government of faking a video of her rescue and of falsifying reports that Ms. Marins had been given food and water after 17 hours.
Mr. Muhamad Hariyadi denied that his agency had released such information. He said the rescue efforts had been hampered by extreme terrain and foggy weather.
In videos released by the search and rescue team, people involved in the search said they had seen a glimpse of a light from a flashlight, as well as a hiking pole that they believed was Ms. Marins’s. They also described poor visibility conditions during rescue efforts on Monday.
The Brazilian Embassy in Indonesia said it had been in constant contact with the local authorities about Ms. Marins.
Hiking websites say that Mount Rinjani requires a substantial level of fitness to ascend it, a journey that takes about five days. The Indonesian authorities say trekkers need to be “thoroughly prepared.” Last month, a Malaysian man died after falling down the mountain. In 2022, it took the authorities four days to retrieve the body of a Portuguese trekker.
Ms. Marins had been “living her dream, backpacking Southeast Asia,” a friend said in an Instagram post. She had been to the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam as well as Indonesia, the friend said.
For days, Ms. Marin’s loved ones have had little information about her whereabouts, the friend added.
A woman who identified herself as Ms. Marins’s sister said on Tuesday on Instagram that “we are very much looking forward to seeing Juliana again.”
Sui-Lee Wee is the Southeast Asia bureau chief for The Times, overseeing coverage of 11 countries in the region.
Muktita Suhartono reports on Thailand and Indonesia. She is based in Bangkok.
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