Indonesian authorities are racing against the clock to rescue a 26-year-old tourist who fell into an active volcano. She’s now been trapped for three days — and the desperate effort to save her is far from over.
Trapped on a rocky cliff
A massive rescue operation is currently underway at Indonesia’s Mount Rinjani volcano, where teams are racing to save 26-year-old Juliana Marins, from Niterói, Brazil.
Rinjani National Park on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, has temporarily closed all hiking trails to Mount Rinjani in order to focus all resources on rescuing the 26-year-old Brazilian woman.
Juliana, a publicist and pole dancer, is reportedly trapped on a rocky cliff, more than 500 meters deep inside the crater. She fell early Saturday morning, June 21, while hiking with a guide near Cemara Nunggal on the way to the mountain’s peak.
According to reports, Juliana had asked the group to pause for a break — but they allegedly continued on without her. When the guide eventually returned, they discovered she had fallen off the cliff. It’s believed Juliana became disoriented after being left behind.
Mount Rinjani’s summit hike is known to be physically demanding and treacherous, especially for those unfamiliar with the terrain.
Difficult and slippery
Speaking to Brazilian TV network Globo, a man described the conditions during the hike, saying: “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.”
”She didn’t know what to do. When the guide came back because he saw that she was taking too long, he saw that she had fallen down there,” Juliana’s sister, Marianna, says.
Over 50 rescuers involved
According to Brazilian media, six rescue teams and two helicopters are currently involved in the mission to save Juliana.
Three days into Juliana Marins’ ordeal inside the volcano, her condition is still unknown. However, according to the BBC, rescuers reported hearing desperate cries for help on Saturday, offering a chilling sign that she may still be alive.
In a statement posted to Facebook, officials from Gunung Rinjani National Park confirmed 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.”
Two members of the rescue team attempted to reach her by scaling the cliff and assessing an anchor point 350 meters down. But according to the park, “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.”
Unfortunately, bad weather forced the team to abandon that attempt.
Juliana’s loved ones have now taken to social media, urging the world to help bring her home. A post shared on a dedicated Instagram page shows a family member pleading: “Juliana has been missing for over 2 days on Mount Rinjani, in Lombok, Indonesia. She needs URGENT rescue! Her life is depending on that!”
Her family says the most recent team came within 350 meters of reaching her but had to turn back. “A whole day and they advanced only 250 meters below, there were 350 meters left to reach Juliana, and they retreated,” they wrote. “We need help, we need the rescue to reach Juliana urgently!”
While en route to Indonesia to follow the rescue efforts, Juliana’s father, Manoel Marins Filho, reported having trouble getting into the country. In a video posted on social media, he said he was stranded at Lisbon Airport in Portugal after Qatari airspace—where his connecting flight was scheduled—was shut down.
On Monday (June 23), Iran reportedly launched attacks on U.S. military bases in both Qatar and Iraq in retaliation for American airstrikes on facilities tied to Iran’s nuclear program.
“We’re at the airport in Lisbon, and unfortunately Qatari airspace has been closed,” he said in the video. “Our flight has to go through Doha. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what the airline will decide or if we’ll be able to travel today. We continue to trust in God and ask Him to find a solution to everything. We want to, and need to, get there to follow Juliana’s rescue.”
Despite the setback, Manoel remains hopeful that he’ll find his daughter alive. He also expressed gratitude for the support the family has received from both friends and strangers.
Mount Rinjani is a popular yet treacherous destination for hikers. The volcano is still active and last erupted in September 2016.
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