An Australian tourist with the initials BLC (29) died after falling from a cliff at Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida, Klungkung Regency, Bali, on Saturday, 12th of September.
Cakra Negara, Coordinator of the Nusa Penida Search and Rescue (SAR) Alert Unit, explained that the incident began when the victim arrived in the Kelingking Beach area at around 8 AM local time. The victim then walked towards the edge of the cliff along a path that did not lead to the beach.
“This tourist walked towards the edge of the cliff at Kelingking Beach along a path that did not lead to the beach. We do not know why [BLC] headed in that different direction,” said Negara to the press.
According to local residents, a report regarding the victim—who had slipped, fallen and become snagged halfway down the wooded cliff—was received at around 9 AM local time. Several hours later, the SAR team received a follow-up report stating that the victim had ultimately fallen all the way down to the beach area.
Acting on this report, a joint SAR team comprising personnel from the military, police, the National Search and Rescue Agency and local residents immediately deployed to the site, arriving at around 11 AM local time. However, Negara noted that the evacuation process faced significant challenges on the ground. Recovering the body of the victim—who had been travelling alone—took a considerable amount of time due to the extreme terrain.
The overland evacuation process, which took approximately one to one and a half hours, finally concluded at around 12.30 PM local time.
“We could not carry out the evacuation via the sea due to weather conditions and the rising tide, so we were forced to perform the operation manually,” he continued.
Additionally, Klungkung Police Public Relations Officer First Inspector Dewa Nyoman Alit Purnawibawa explained that when the victim was found at the edge of Kelingking Beach, they were already deceased.
“The victim passed away and sustained a fracture to the left arm, a broken leg, a laceration on the right leg, and abrasions across their body caused by the cliff rocks,” Purnawibawa stated.
As of Monday, 14th of September, Nusa Penida Police Chief Commissioner I Ketut Kesuma Jaya said the Australian Embassy was still trying to contact the victim’s family.
“To this day, the victim’s body is still in the morgue at Gema Santi Nusa Penida Hospital. Since yesterday, we have continued to coordinate. The latest information is that the Embassy was still trying to contact the victim’s family in Australia,” explained Jaya to the press on Monday.