Tourist In Bali Rescued From Ravine After Falling 20m From Pool Deck

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A tourist in Bali has been saved by search and rescue teams after falling from a pool deck in a luxury Ubud villa. The victim, known as 37-year-old JA from Seychelles, fell 20m into a ravine as the wooden railing surrounding the pool deck gave way on Sunday, 18th December.

Speaking to the press shortly after the rescue mission, Tegalalang Police Chief, AKP I Ketut Sudita, confirmed the sequence of events. He said that police were called to Alam Ubud Villa at 8.45 pm on Sunday. According to Sudita, JA fell 20m into a densely forested ravine as he leaned on a wooden railing designed to prevent such a fall. 

Sudita reported that JA had only checked into the hotel at around 6 pm on Sunday evening. He was accompanied on holiday by his friend with the initials SAN. Hotel staff reported to the police that the pair had enjoyed a massage and dinner at the resort. At around 8.45 pm, they headed up to the swimming pool for an evening dip. 

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The Police Chief told reporters, “When the victim was leaning against the pool dividing wall or railing made of wood, suddenly the wood he was leaning on collapsed and caused the victim to fall into a ravine approximately 20 meters deep…The victim’s friend then contacted the [hotel staff] for help. Then the officer contacted us and the Gianyar BPBD [local disaster management agency]”.

Rescue teams arrived on the scene at 11.10 pm. Ipda A A Rai Rupawan from the Tegalalang Police headed up the rescue mission. The disaster rescue team from the Gianyar BPDB arrived on the scene around 20 minutes later an immediately launched the evacuation mission. Sudita continued, “About 1 hour into the evacuation process, at 00.25 am, we finally managed to lift the victim up from the bottom of the ravine”. 

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Also speaking at the press conference, Head of Emergency and Logistics BPBD Gianyar, I Gusti Ngurah Dibya Presasta, confirmed that the victim had been safely taken to the hospital. He said JA was conscious, but an initial assessment of his injured led teams to suspect that he had broken his pelvis, amongst other injuries. 

Presasta said, “When he fell, the victim was wearing [swim] shorts… At 00.30 am, the victim was then transported using the PMI Gianyar district ambulance to Kenak Medika Hospital for further assistance and treatment”. 

Alam Ubud Villa is yet to have released a statement regarding the incident, and police have not suggested that they will be launching an investigation. Police did not indicate that JA was behaving irresponsibly nor whether the resort is liable. Alam Ubud Villa is described as ‘the new cultural heart of Ubud located in the Village of Tegallang’. 

The news of the rescue of JA comes just a month after an American tourist died after falling from an infinity pool in Ubud. On Tuesday, 8th November, a 35-year-old woman with the initials CML fell 15m from the side of an infinity pool at the Sankara Suites in Bali’s cultural capital. CML is reported to have fallen from the pool’s exposed side, landing in the garden area below.

She is said to have suffered “suffered lacerations on the right leg, lacerations on the left leg, lacerations on the chest, abrasions on the right and left thighs, and abrasions on the face”. She died from her extensive injuries on the way to the hospital despite the best efforts of first aid and care by the ambulance and paramedic teams.

Speaking at the time, Ubud Police Chief, Kompol Yudistira, confirmed that an investigation was underway. It is believed that CML and her friend had been drinking and had ignored warnings from hotel staff not to play on the pool’s exposed edge.