Three Teenage Hikers Lost on Bali's Mount Batukaru Found Safe

A joint search and rescue team successfully located three hikers reported lost on Mount Batukaru in Tabanan Regency, Bali. They were found safe at 11:00 WITA on Friday (29 May) at an altitude of 1,899 metres above sea level. The hikers were identified as Mario Luca (17), an Indonesian national from Karangasem, and two Russian foreign nationals, Taisiya Chernosvitova (18) and Nazar Krasnoruski (18). All three are recent graduates of an international high school in Denpasar. Kadek Donny Indrawan, coordinator of the Buleleng Search and Rescue Coordination Unit, explained that the hikers began their ascent on Thursday (28 May) morning via the Pura Petali route in Jatiluwih Village, Penebel Subdistrict. However, they became disoriented during their descent. “They started descending around 15:00 WITA but became lost by 20:00 WITA. One of the hikers contacted their family to report their situation, which was then relayed to BASARNAS,” Donny said on Friday (29 May). The search operation involved seven personnel from the Buleleng SAR unit working with Tabanan Police, Pupuan Police Station, Brimob Battalion B Pelopor Mengwi, Pupuan Military Command Post, local communities, and guides. After being located at mapped coordinates, the joint team immediately carried out evacuation. The three teenagers were reported stable despite spending the night in the forest of Bali’s second-highest mountain. “At 14:05 WITA, all three hikers were successfully evacuated to Karyasari Village Command Post and handed over to their respective families. With the victims found, the SAR operation has been officially closed,” Donny added. Authorities have urged hikers, particularly teenagers and tourists, to always use local guides and ensure physical readiness and navigation preparedness before ascending areas with dense vegetation like Mount Batukaru.