What was meant to be an adventurous trek up Indonesia’s majestic Mount Rinjani has turned into a living nightmare for 26-year-old Brazilian tourist Juliana Marins.
She has now been trapped more than 1,600 feet deep inside an active volcano crater for over three days, after reportedly being left behind by her hiking guide.
The incident occurred Saturday during a group hike on the scenic trails surrounding Mount Rinjani’s crater lake. According to her sister, Marianna Marins, Juliana had asked for a break after showing signs of fatigue.
But instead of waiting, the guide allegedly pressed on without her, continuing up the trail.
By the time the guide returned, Juliana had vanished… only to be later discovered by drone footage, stranded on a narrow rock ledge nearly a third of a mile down inside the volcano.
“She was scared and disoriented,” said Marianna during a Brazilian news interview. “When he came back to find her, it was too late. She had already fallen.”
Indonesia’s Gunung Rinjani National Park confirmed the sighting and has launched a high-risk rescue mission. Despite early fears, rescuers later reported hearing her cries for help, offering a glimmer of hope that Juliana is still alive.
However, the mission has been severely hampered by dense fog, unstable terrain, and rapid weather changes. Helicopter evacuation was ruled out due to dangerous air currents, and on-ground rescue crews have had to retreat multiple times for safety.
“We’re doing everything we can, but the conditions are extreme,” park officials said.
