Another victim of Nusa Penida's most Instagrammable view nearly became 17-year-old Juitao Xiao, who came with his family from China to spend their vacation in Bali.
During a tour of Kelingking Beach, the young man arranged a photoshoot on the cliff. At some point, he wanted to go down to the beach, but the family’s guide and driver, Wayan Agus Wisnawan, advised against it, explaining that the route along the steep cliff was quite difficult and dangerous. This led to a minor conflict between Wayan and the Chinese client, after which the guide went to wait for the family in the car. Half an hour later, the teenager's worried grandmother ran to the parking lot and informed the guide that her grandson had fallen from the stairs onto the rocks.
Chief Commissioner of Nusa Penida Police, Ida Bagus Putra Sumerta, reported that Juitao Xiao slipped off the cliff and, after falling several meters, landed in bushes that broke his fall.
"The Kelingking Beach administration organized the evacuation of the foreigner from the cliff using a lift that was available due to ongoing construction [they are building an elevator - ed.]. The injured person had many injuries, so he was immediately taken to the Nusa Medika Clinic, where he received first aid," the police officer added. "According to the medical team, the victim had injuries on the left side of his head, bruises, and scratches on his temples. Additionally, his legs had scratches."
Due to his injuries, the Chinese tourist was eventually sent to the BIMC hospital. For this, the family rented a speedboat from Nusa Penida to Sanur.
Sumerta mentioned that a similar incident happened in the same place on Sunday. At that time, a Chinese tourist named Chen Peiyuan was injured. He had severe head injuries and was also sent to the BIMC hospital in Kuta.
It is interesting to see if the increasing number of falls while descending to Kelingking Beach will affect public opinion regarding the construction of a glass elevator on the cliff. It should be noted that there has been a wave of outrage among local residents about the project. Social media users believe that the ambitious structure will ruin the atmosphere of one of the most famous views, which many associate with Bali.
Now the authorities have a reason to ban not only swimming on the dangerous coast but also independent hiking down to the beach. This, of course, will make the elevator popular.
Sources: kompas.com, kumparan
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