Swiss and Dutch Hikers Injured in July Falls at Mount Rinjani; Helicopter Evacuations and Park Ticket Service Closed

Two foreign hikers suffered falls while trekking Mount Rinjani in Nusa Tenggara Barat, Indonesia, within two days in July 2025. On July 16, Swiss national Benedikt Emmenegger, 46, fell on the Pelawangan Sembalun trail near Danau Segara Anak after descending from the summit. He sustained fractures to his leg and arm and bruises on his face but was successfully evacuated by helicopter and survived. The following day, July 17, Sarah Tamar van Hulten, a 26-year-old Dutch national residing in Denmark, also fell on the Sembalun route, suffering a neck injury. She was rescued by a search and rescue team using a helicopter and evacuated safely. These incidents followed a previous fatality involving a Brazilian tourist at the same volcano the prior month. In response to the consecutive accidents involving foreign hikers, the management of Gunung Rinjani National Park (BTNGR) closed the ticket purchasing service via the e-Rinjani application starting July 16, 2025. The park authorities have not announced how long the closure will last.