JAKARTA: The family of a Brazilian hiker found dead in Indonesia days after a fall climbing a volcano have criticised the rescue effort as too slow, before authorities carry out an autopsy Thursday to find out the time of her death.
Juliana Marins, 26, went missing on Saturday at Indonesia’s second-largest volcano, Mount Rinjani, located on Lombok island.
Attempts to evacuate her were hindered by challenging weather and terrain after authorities spotted her unmoving body with a drone.
Rescuers finally reached her body on Tuesday evening after a dayslong effort and evacuated her a day later.
Her family has claimed Marins could have been saved if she was reached within hours rather than days.
“Juliana suffered severe neglect by the rescue team. Juliana would still be alive if the team had gotten to her within the estimated time of 7 hours,“ her family wrote late Wednesday on an Instagram account that has amassed over one million followers.
“Juliana deserved so much more! Now we are going after justice for her, because it’s what she deserves.”
In a social media post on Thursday, her family thanked “the volunteers who bravely” helped to finally retrieve her body.
Head of Indonesia’s rescue agency Mohammad Syafii said Wednesday evening he had met with Marins’s family to explain the challenges and said they “could accept the situation we were facing”.
Indonesian authorities said her body would be taken to neighbouring island Bali on Thursday for an autopsy to establish the cause and time of death.
“Now the autopsy will be carried out in Bali. We looked for the closest option, which is Denpasar,“ Indah Dhamayanti Putri, deputy governor of West Nusa Tenggara province, told reporters Thursday, referring to Bali’s capital.
“They want to know the time of death.”
Initial reports that Marins was heard screaming after falling sparked speculation that she was alive hours after the accident.
But a drone spotted her not moving on Monday and local officials said the evacuation effort was delayed by steep terrain and bad weather.
The case caught nationwide attention in Brazil with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva posting on social media that he had received the news of Marins’s death “with great sadness”.
Lombok is a tourist destination known for its idyllic beaches and lush greenery, and many try to climb Rinjani for its panoramic views.
