The woman who had become the subject of a massive rescue operation after becoming trapped inside an active volcano has died before she could be rescued.
26-year-old Juliana Marins, of Brazil, had been stuck inside the volcano for the past four days, having fell from a cliff near Cemara Nunggal enroute to the peak of Mount Rinjani in Indonesia.
The volcano erupted as recently as 2016. Rinjani National Park on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, temporarily closed all hiking trails to Mount Rinjani in order to focus all resources on rescuing Marins.
Sadly, her family has now confirmed her death.
Juliana, a publicist and pole dancer, was trapped on a rocky cliff over 500 meters deep inside the crater. She had fallen early Saturday morning, June 21, while hiking with a guide.
As per 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.
”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, said.
Six rescue teams and two helicopters were scrambled in the mission to save Juliana – a mission that garnered worldwide attention.
Three days into Marins’ ordeal inside the volcano, her condition was unknown. According to the BBC, rescuers reported hearing desperate cries for help on Saturday, offering a chilling sign that she may still be alive.
A tragic update, however, has confirmed that the 26-year-old has passed away.
A social media post from Juliana’s family reads: “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 affection and support that we have received.”
Gunung Rinjani National Park released their own Facebook statement prior to the family’s announcement 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 added: “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.”
The operation was ultimately abandoned due to trecharous weather conditions.
Rest in peace, Juliana Marins.
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