An Irish tourist somehow survived a 200-metre fall into an Indonesian volcano with only minor injuries.
Paul Farrel, 31, from Sligo was hiking alone up Mount Rinjani in West Nusa Tenggara on Wednesday when he slipped and fell.
He is said to have rolled off the steep walkway and ‘off a cliff’, but miraculously suffered only minor injuries to his shoulder, local media reported. reports.
A rescue team eventually found him in the shadow of a small rock with several deep cuts on his face, legs and arms.
After quietly smoking a cigarette and thanking his rescuers, the hiker vowed to be careful and not stray too far from his hotel.
Paul was very grateful to his rescuers, who ruled that he had suffered only minor injuries
A rescue team eventually found him in the shadow of a small rock with a few deep gashes
Paul was brought to safety with the help of a pulley on Wednesday morning after he was found
General view of a sunrise from Mount Rinjani in Indonesia
Paul called a local resort for help after his fall, who notified police early Wednesday morning.
According to Kompas, a rescue team was already on site and evacuated the body of a man who had fallen into a nearby ravine.
They reported that there were problems communicating with Paul because he was in a remote location with little signal.
But the Irish tourist was lucky to be found with few injuries from a huge fall.
Paul calmly lit a cigarette, relieved that the search team had found him.
He said to them, “Thank you very much. You saved my life. Without you I could never have come back.
“I’m going to stay safe after this and not go too far from my hotel.”
Images show how volunteers bring him to safety with the help of a pulley.
He gave his rescuers a big hug as he was pulled back to higher ground.
Iptu Nikolas Osma, head of public relations for East Lombok police, said: “The victim is said to have slipped because the location is sandy.
“The joint search and rescue team managed to evacuate him.
‘The results of the medical team show that he only suffered minor injuries to the shoulder.
“His general condition is currently healthy.”
Paul was taken to the Pelawangan Emergency Shelter for further observation.
Paul calmly lit a cigarette, relieved that the search team had found him
Search and rescue teams look at the spot where Paul landed after falling from the volcano
Rescue workers were evacuating a body nearby when Paul called for help Wednesday morning
Rescue efforts were hampered by poor reception from the side of the active volcano
Authorities said the place where he fell was near the point where the body of a missing Indonesian teenage hiker, Kaifat Rafi Mubarraq, 16, was found.
The youth was reported missing on September 29 after heading to the top of Mount Rinjani. A drone found his body lying in a ravine on October 8.
Mount Rinjani is an active volcano on the island of Lombok in Indonesia. It is the second highest volcano in the country, reaching a height of 12,224 feet.
Hikers often traverse the mountain’s dangerous terrain to see the beautiful crater lake Segara Anak nearby.
Guided tours by professional hikers often cost as much as $200.