An Irish tourist somehow survived falling 650ft down an Indonesian volcano with just 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 was said to have rolled down the steep hiking trail and ‘off a cliff’ but miraculously suffered only minor injuries to his shoulder, local media reports.
A rescue team eventually found him in the shade of a small outcrop with a few deep cuts on his face, legs and arms.
After calmly smoking a cigarette and thanking his rescuers, the hiker vowed to take care and not stray too far from his hotel.
Paul Farrel rests with a cigarette after being saved from the side of the volcano
A rescue team eventually found him in the shade of a small outcrop with a few deep cuts
Paul was winched out to safety using a pulley after being found on Wednesday morning
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.
A rescue team was on hand, already evacuating the body of a man who fell into a ravine nearby, according to Kompas.
They reported some difficulty communicating with Paul, holed up 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 told them: ‘Thank you so much. You boys saved my life. I would never have been able to get back without you.
‘I’m going to stay safe after this and not go too far from my hotel.’
Footage shows volunteers winching him to safety using a pulley.
He gave his rescuers a big hug when he was pulled back up to higher ground.
Iptu Nikolas Osma, chief of Public Relations of the East Lombok Police, said: ‘The victim allegedly slipped because the location is sandy.
‘The joint search and rescue team managed to evacuate him.
‘From the results of the medical team’s examination, 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 was very thankful to his rescuers, who assessed he had only suffered light injuries
Search and rescue teams look on at the site where Paul landed after falling down the volcano
Rescuers were evacuating a body nearby when Paul called for help on 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 corpse of a missing Indonesian teenage hiker, Kaifat Rafi Mubarraq, 16, was found.
The youngster was reported missing on September 29 after setting out for the summit of Mount Rinjani. A drone found his body lying in a ravine on October 8.
Mount Rinjani is an active volcano located on the island of Lombok in Indonesia. It is the second-highest volcano in the country, standing at 12,224 feet.
Hikers often traverse the mountain’s dangerous terrain to see the stunning crater lake, Segara Anak, nearby.
Guided tours by professional hikers often cost as much as $200.
