Brazilian Hiker’s Tragic Fall Ends in Heartbreak on Indonesian Volcano
Jakarta, Indonesia – A 26-year-old Brazilian tourist, Juliana Marins, was found dead on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, after a harrowing four-day ordeal on Indonesia’s Mount Rinjani, according to the Brazilian foreign ministry and local authorities. Marins, who fell approximately 600 meters (1,968 feet) from a cliff near the volcano’s crater rim on Saturday, June 21, was the focus of an intense rescue operation that gripped millions in Brazil.
Marins was hiking with a guide and five other foreign tourists on the 3,726-meter (12,224-foot) active volcano on Lombok island when she slipped from a narrow trail section around 6:30 a.m. local time. Drone footage captured by fellow hikers and shared by Brazilian outlet TV Brasil EBC showed Marins alive but distressed shortly after her fall, seated on gray soil. Initial rescue attempts were thwarted by treacherous terrain and dense fog, with thermal drones later indicating she had slipped further down the cliff to a depth of about 500 meters (1,640 feet) by Monday, June 23.
The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), supported by three helicopters, battled extreme weather and poor visibility to reach Marins. Despite these efforts, Mohammad Syafii, head of BASARNAS, confirmed on Tuesday that Marins showed no signs of life when rescuers finally reached her. The operation faced significant delays due to the challenging conditions, with the team unable to evacuate her body until Wednesday, June 25, for transport to a police hospital in Sembalun basecamp.
Marins’ family, based in Niteroi, Brazil, used social media to rally support and express frustration with the rescue’s pace. They disputed claims by Indonesian authorities that Marins had received food and water, asserting she was without sustenance or warm clothing for days. “Today, the rescue team managed to reach the place where Juliana Marins was,” the family posted on Instagram, translated by People. “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.”
The Brazilian foreign ministry, in close coordination with Indonesian officials, dispatched two embassy staff to oversee the rescue efforts. The ministry expressed “deep sadness” in a statement, noting the adverse weather and terrain that complicated the operation. Indonesian Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni announced the temporary closure of Mount Rinjani’s hiking trail to facilitate the evacuation and honor Marins and her family.
Mount Rinjani, Indonesia’s second-highest volcano, is a popular yet perilous destination for trekkers. Recent years have seen similar tragedies, including the deaths of a Malaysian hiker in May 2025 and a Portuguese climber in 2022, both from falls on the mountain’s steep trails. Marins, a publicist and pole dancer who had been backpacking across Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia since February, became the latest victim of the volcano’s unforgiving landscape.
The incident has sparked renewed calls for enhanced safety measures on Indonesia’s volcanic trails, with Marins’ family questioning why the route remained open during the rescue efforts. As Brazil mourns, the tragedy underscores the risks of adventure tourism in such extreme environments.