Former Chelsea striker Alexandre Pato has offered to pay the pay the bill to bring the body of a tourist who plunged down an Indonesian volcano home to Brazil after her family blasted authorities’ ‘botched’ rescue.
Rescuers removed the body of dancer Juliana Marins, 26, from the depths of Mount Rinjani on Lambok Island last week, after she slipped and slid hundreds of feet down the volcano during a hike four days prior.
Search teams had said they faced challenges from bad weather and low visibility over the ensuing days, with Marins’ family accusing rescuers of not doing enough to save her.
The tragic saga has garnered widespread attention in her native Brazil and, according to reports, has caught the eye of former international Pato, who, after being moved upon learning of the BRL 100,000 (£13,000) cost to repatriate her body, has tried to contact Marins’s father to pay the bill.
According to National World, the 35-year-old – who addition to a short spell in west London also spent time in Europe with AC Milan and Villarreal – is still waiting for a reply.
By the time she was found on Tuesday – after earlier drone footage appeared to show her alive and moving after the fall – it was too late.
Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency appeared to distance itself from any culpability while sharing a series of photos on Instagram claiming to show first responders retrieving Marins’ body
‘Trekking to Mount Rinjani is an Extreme Tourism Sport,’ a caption on one post read.
‘Be respectful, understand limitations. When accident happend [sic], do not blame rescuers unless you have walked in their shoes!’ The agency then deleted the post amid ongoing questions by Marins’ family and criticism pouring in from around the globe.
Her grieving loved ones announced last week that they would be ‘seeking justice’ after the tourist’s death.
‘Juliana suffered great negligence on the part of the rescue team,’ her family said in a statement. ‘If the team had reached her within the estimated time of 7 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!’
The family’s claim comes as observers, particularly those in Brazil, continued to flood the National Search and Rescue Agency’s social media feeds with criticism.
Marins’ family had also slammed the lack of communication between Indonesian and Brazilian authorities, and questioned why Mount Rinjani National Park remained open to visitors during the search.
According to Indonesian government data, eight people have died and 108 have suffered injuries while hiking in the Mount Rinjani region since 2020.
Just last month, a Malaysian hiker reportedly died in fall on the mountain.
Last Wednesday, a Brazilian geologist told CNN that the park should have been better prepared.
Marins, who hailed from just outside Rio de Janeiro, had joined six tourists and a tour guide for the $150 excursion on the active volcano.
She separated from the group due to fatigue and was left behind by the tour guide, her sister told Brazilian news magazine Fantastico.
‘We found out about this after contacting people who work at the park,’ Mariana said. ‘Juliana was in this group, but she got very tired and asked to stop for a while. They kept going, and the guide didn’t stay with her.’
The guide, identified as Ali Musthofa, told Brazilian outlet O Globo that he never left Marins behind.
‘Actually, I didn’t leave her, but I waited three minutes in front of her. After about 15 or 30 minutes, Juliana didn’t show up,’ the 20-year-old said.
‘I looked for her at the last resting place, but I couldn’t find her. I told her I would wait for her ahead. I told her to rest. I realized [she had fallen] when I saw the light of a flashlight on a ravine about 150 meters deep and heard Juliana’s voice calling for help. I told her I would help her. I tried desperately to tell Juliana to wait for help.’
Musthofa said that he reported the accident to the tour agency he is employed by and told them to request emergency assistance.
Italian tourist Federica Matricardi told Fantastico that she met Juliana last Friday and recalled how difficult it was to make it to the top of Mount Rinjai.
The pair of solo travelers appeared together in a video just before Juliana fell, smiling and joking about the cloudy view.
Marins left in February for a trip through southeast Asia, visiting Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines before heading to Indonesia.
