Cause of death of tourist who fell down active volcano revealed as severe trauma to ‘almost all parts of her body’
It has been confirmed that the Brazilian tourist who fell from a cliff on a volcano in Indonesia died of 'internal bleeding caused by damage to organs and bone fractures'.
Brazilian tourist Juliana Marins fell from a cliff next to the crater of Mount Rinjani, an active volcano that is more than 12,000 feet high on the Indonesian island of Lombok on the morning of June 21.
The fall occurred around 6:30 a.m. local time as she was hiking to the peak and it resulted in a search party to find her.
Gunung Rinjani National Park wrote on Facebook two days later that her location was being 'successfully monitored using a drone, in a position stuck on a rock cliff at a depth of 500 meters and visually motionless'.
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On June 24, authorities announced that the 26-year-old's body was found, with Marins' family confirming her death in a statement shortly afterwards.
A translated message from June 24, read: "Today, the rescue team managed to reach the place where Juliana Marins was. With immense 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."
On June 27, a local coroner discussed Marins' cause of death at a press conference at Bali Mandara Hospital in Denpasar, where her body had been examined.
The autopsy confirmed that Marins had 'died of internal bleeding caused by damage to organs and bone fractures'.
They added that she had severe trauma to 'almost all parts of her body,' with significant injuries to her back, limbs, and chest.
Forensic specialist Dr. Ida Bagus Putu Alit said, per News.com.au: "I could see that the worst [injuries] were related to the respiratory system, and there were wounds to the chest area, and especially the chest and the back.
"These injuries damaged the internal organs. We saw a huge amount of bleeding in the chest cavity."
The doctor explained the injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma typically caused by contact with flat, dense objects, and this could have been caused by the rocks and pebbles that make up Mount Rinjani’s terrain.
He added that ‘she died very quickly from her injuries' and is unlikely to have suffered for a long time after the fall.
However, Marins’ family - who recently shared her tragic final text messages - has refused to accept the initial autopsy results, and a second autopsy will be conducted in Brazil.
They have argued that rescue operation were negligent and the delays cost the tourist her life.
In a statement shared by TV Globo, they said: “Juliana suffered great negligence on the part of the rescue team. If the team had reached her within the estimated time of seven hours, Juliana would still be alive.
"Juliana deserved much more. Now we are going to seek justice for her, because that is what she deserves! Don’t give up on Juliana!"
UNILAD has contacted Gunung Rinjani National Park for comment.
Topics: News, World News, Volcano, Travel
Gerrard Kaonga