Key Facts on Rescue Operation for Brazilian Who Fell off Indonesia's Mount Rinjani

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A joint search and rescue (SAR) team was striving to evacuate a 27-year-old female Brazilian tourist, identified by her initials JDSP, who reportedly fell while trekking Mount Rinjani, Lombok island. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, June 21, 2025.

The individual is believed to have slipped towards Lake Segara Anak in the vicinity of Cemara Nunggal point. The fall occurred on the trekking route towards Rinjani's peak, in an area characterized by a drop of hundreds of meters.

Upon receiving a report from the Rinjani National Park Office (BTNGR), the Mataram SAR Office immediately dispatched dozens of personnel to the location. This search and rescue operation involves various elements, including the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), the East Lombok Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD East Lombok), the East Lombok SAR Unit, EMHC, the fire and rescue department (Damkar), Rinjani volunteers, porters, and other relevant parties.

"Personnel deployed to the location from the Kayangan SAR post and Mataram are equipped with various SAR tools," said I Kadek Agus Ariawan, the field coordinator of the Mataram SAR Office. Below are further facts related to the ongoing evacuation process.

Evacuation Hindered by Weather

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said on Tuesday, June 24, that the evacuation process for the Brazilian hiker on Mount Rinjani was underway. However, adverse weather conditions were the primary obstacle to the joint SAR team's rescue efforts.

"The weather conditions this morning had started to improve, but then worsened again. We hope that the weather will improve this afternoon," said Raja Juli in Jakarta on Tuesday, as reported by Antara.

He added that the female hiker's position has been successfully identified at a depth of approximately 400 meters. "Yesterday, the evacuation team descended to a depth of around 300 meters, but then the weather deteriorated, and there was a storm," the Minister explained.

Based on the information from the official Instagram account of the Rinjani National Park Office (BTNGR), Tuesday's evacuation focuses on using vertical rescue techniques to reach the individual's location directly.

Nevertheless, the challenging terrain and weather conditions remain major hurdles. If the weather does not improve, the evacuation might be carried out via the Lake Segara Anak route.

"Fortunately, this evening, 7 rescuers managed to approach the person's location but had to establish a flying camp due to the onset of darkness. Meanwhile, the air assistance test via helicopter has not been maximally successful due to thick fog around the location," the latest BTNGR post conveyed.

Government Committed to Rescue

Minister Raja Juli Antoni affirmed the Indonesian government's commitment to rescuing JDSP. "The Indonesian government, along with the relevant ministries and institutions, is very serious about rescuing the Brazilian citizen. Hopefully, with continued hard work and cooperation, we can save her," he said.

Hiker's Location Identified

Muhamad Hariyadi, Head of the Mataram SAR Office, revealed that JDSP was located on Monday morning, June 23, 2025, at 07:05 WITA, approximately 500 meters from the initial reported fall point. "The joint SAR team successfully found the survivor using thermal drone visualization," Hariyadi stated.

Based on drone observations, the hiker was immobile. The joint SAR team was making strenuous efforts to evacuate JDSP, who had fallen hundreds of meters.

Meanwhile, I Kadek Agus Ariawan, Field Coordinator of the Mataram SAR, explained that the hiker fell in an area with extremely steep and challenging cliff contours. "The individual fell around Cemara Nunggal, which is an area with very extreme terrain. At the moment, we are still focused on the search and rescue process," Kadek Agus said on Tuesday.

NTB Governor Prepares Three Helicopters

West Nusa Tenggara Governor, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, confirmed that three helicopters were prepared to support the evacuation operation. "There are three helicopters with airlifter specifications to carry out the evacuation operation," he said via a short message on Tuesday.

He added that one helicopter belonging to the TNI Headquarters, together with the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), was scheduled to arrive at Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport (BIZAM) at 14:00 WITA. Meanwhile, an insurance company's Medivac helicopter had already arrived at BIZAM. The third helicopter, owned by PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara (AMNT), was also on standby in West Sumbawa.

"Another helicopter belonging to PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara (AMNT) with airlifter specifications is also on standby in West Sumbawa," explained the governor, who is familiarly known as Miq Iqbal.

Sembalun 4 Crest Route Closed

As a measure to accelerate the evacuation and ensure safety, the Forestry Ministry temporarily closed the hiking route from Sembalun 4 Crest to the peak of Rinjani, effective from June 24, 2025, until an unspecified time.

"Climbing activities from Sembalun Climbing Route 4 to the peak of Mount Rinjani are temporarily closed from June 24, 2025, until an unspecified time or until the individual's evacuation process is completed," said Yarman Wasur, the Head of Rinjani National Park Office (TNGR), on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

The closure aims to ensure that the area around the evacuation site remains conducive during the rescue process. "This is to accelerate the evacuation process for the accident victim in Cemara Nunggal, and considering the safety aspects of visitors, the safety of the rescue team, and maintaining the conducive nature of the area around the evacuation location," he explained.

Akhyar M. Nur and Antara contributed to the writing of this article

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