Malaysian hiker injured on Rinjani evacuated to Bali
Basarnas Deputy for Operations Edy Prakoso said on Tuesday the victim was taken to hospital after rescuers completed an emergency medical evacuation by helicopter earlier in the morning.
“The victim, who fell while descending from the summit toward Pelawangan, was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in Bali for intensive medical treatment,” Edy said in Jakarta.
Basarnas said its Mataram search and rescue office first received reports on Monday that a foreign hiker had fallen and was unable to move.
The victim was initially evacuated manually by porters and tour guides to Pelawangan 2 Sembalun before rescue teams arrived at the scene.
In response, rescuers from the Kayangan rescue post and the Mataram SAR office were deployed, while a commercial helicopter was dispatched from Denpasar to accelerate the emergency evacuation.
However, thick fog covering the mountain area on Monday afternoon forced the helicopter to return to base due to flight safety concerns, delaying the airlift operation.
During the delay, rescue teams stabilized the victim’s condition in an emergency tent while waiting for weather conditions to improve, Basarnas said.
Improved visibility on Tuesday morning allowed the helicopter to depart from Sembalun field at 8:05 a.m. local time and reach the pickup point shortly afterward.
The helicopter then departed for Bali at 8:17 a.m. local time with the injured hiker onboard, according to the Mataram SAR office.
Authorities said the helicopter landed at Benoa helipad in Bali at 9:05 a.m. local time before the victim was transferred by ambulance to Inmedika Sanur Hospital in South Denpasar.
The evacuation operation involved coordination among Basarnas, Mount Rinjani National Park authorities, local government agencies and other rescue personnel stationed in the area.
Mount Rinjani, Indonesia’s second-highest volcano, is a popular destination for foreign and domestic hikers, though rescue operations are often complicated by rapidly changing mountain weather conditions.
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Translator: M.Riezko BEP, Rahmad Nasution