Juliana Marins, a 26-year-old Brazilian traveler, has been confirmed dead after falling from a cliff while hiking Indonesia’s Mount Rinjani, a popular volcano on Lombok Island.
Marins had been missing since Saturday, when she slipped and fell during a group hike along a steep, fog-covered trail near the volcano’s crater.
She was hiking with five friends and a local guide in the early morning hours, around 6:30 a.m. local time.
Initial reports indicated that Marins survived the fall, as rescuers heard her cries for help shortly after the incident.
Drone footage circulating in Brazilian media also showed her alive and moving in the volcanic soil hours later, far below the hiking path.
But despite the early signs of life, extreme terrain and persistent fog severely hampered rescue efforts.
More than 50 rescuers took part in a challenging, multi-day operation.
Teams attempted to reach her location, first believed to be about 300 meters (984 feet) down the ravine, but she could not be found or heard when they arrived at the suspected area.
By Sunday morning, new drone footage showed she had moved, possibly fallen further.
Authorities say weather conditions including thick fog, limited visibility and disrupted the use of thermal imaging technology.
Rescuers were able to pinpoint her location again on Monday, but worsening climate conditions forced them to halt their efforts.
On Tuesday, four days after the fall, search teams finally reached her body, which was located about 600 meters (1,968 feet) down a steep ravine.
Indonesia’s search and rescue agency confirmed her death in a statement.
However, inclement weather has so far prevented recovery of her remains, with plans to resume retrieval efforts on Wednesday morning.
In a heartfelt social media post, Marins’ family confirmed her death:
“With great sadness, we inform you that she did not survive,” the family said.
“We remain very grateful for all the prayers, messages of affection and support that we have received.”
Marins had been backpacking through Thailand and Vietnam before arriving in Indonesia, and was on a tour of Mount Rinjani, the country’s second-highest volcano at 3,726 meters (12,224 feet).
A fellow hiker told Brazilian television that conditions on the mountain were treacherous the day of the hike: the terrain was slippery, the climb “very hard,” and visibility severely reduced.
