Fact Check: Rescue efforts hampered by bad weather and challenging terrain for four days.

Fact Check: "Rescue efforts hampered by bad weather and challenging terrain for four days."

What We Know

On June 24, 2025, it was reported that a Brazilian tourist, Juliana Marins, fell while hiking on Mount Rinjani, an active volcano in Indonesia. She was unreachable for four days before her body was found. During this time, rescue efforts were significantly hindered by adverse weather conditions and challenging terrain. Indonesian authorities confirmed that the rescue operations faced difficulties due to "extreme terrain and foggy weather" (source-2). The rescue helicopter was unable to fly to the summit because of these bad weather conditions, which included heavy fog (source-2).

Additionally, reports indicated that the terrain was slippery and visibility was poor, complicating the search efforts (source-3). Rescue teams, comprising around 50 personnel, struggled to navigate the steep and rugged landscape, which further delayed their ability to reach Marins (source-1).

Analysis

The claim that "rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather and challenging terrain for four days" is substantiated by multiple credible sources. The Indonesian authorities explicitly stated that the rescue operations were impeded by "extreme terrain and foggy weather," which aligns with the accounts from various news outlets (source-1, source-2).

The reliability of these sources is high, as they include established news organizations like Reuters and The New York Times, which are known for their rigorous fact-checking and journalistic standards. Furthermore, eyewitness accounts from fellow hikers corroborated the conditions described by the authorities, emphasizing the slippery terrain and poor visibility (source-3).

While there were accusations from Marins' family regarding the preparedness of the rescue teams, the official statements from the Indonesian authorities consistently highlighted the challenges posed by the weather and terrain, which suggests that the rescue efforts were indeed complicated by these factors (source-2).

Conclusion

The claim that "rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather and challenging terrain for four days" is True. The evidence from multiple credible sources supports this assertion, detailing the adverse conditions faced by rescue teams during their operation to locate Juliana Marins. The combination of extreme weather and difficult terrain significantly delayed their efforts, ultimately leading to a tragic outcome.