An Australian tourist spent her final moments clinging to a steep rock face about 80 metres above the ground after falling at one of Bali’s best-known cliff sites, before a second fall proved fatal.
Brianna Cronin, 29, an ecologist travelling alone, died on Saturday morning at Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida, an Indonesian island near Bali.
The dramatic coastal formation, famed for its resemblance to the head of a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex, is among Bali’s most recognisable sights and draws thousands of international visitors each year.
The University of Queensland graduate had been making her way along the notoriously steep, narrow trail to the landmark when she slipped on loose rocks and became stranded on the southern side of the cliff.
Another tourist saw Ms Cronin precariously stuck on a ledge beneath the path. She was unable to climb back to the track and was too far above the beach to make her way down.
It remains unclear whether she had been injured in the initial fall. The tourist notified a local lifeguard monitoring the rugged beach below at about 7.45am.
Rescuers were preparing a plan to reach Ms Cronin when she fell again as she waited for help. She landed on the sand at Kelingking Beach and died at the scene after suffering multiple fractures in the fall down the rocky cliff.
The route down to the beach has previously been described as a “death trap” and an “accident waiting to happen”.
Brianna Lani Cronin (pictured) died on the Indonesian island of Nusa Penida on Saturday.
Emergency crews at the beach following the fatal fall.
Another tourist had spotted Ms Cronin stranded on the cliff face before she fell a second time, landing on the beach
‘The views are spectacular but it is downright dangerous and irresponsibly managed,’ one visitor wrote on Tripadvisor in 2019.
‘At least half of the ”path” is sheer, vertical drops, requiring climbing, hanging, and holding on to broken side rails made literally of sticks and bamboo.
‘Should you twist your ankle or break something you’d be in serious trouble, let alone how easy it would be to tumble through the ”side rails” and drop straight down the side of a cliff.
‘Beautiful as it is, this attraction is going to make headlines for all the wrong reasons if responsible action is not taken soon.’
Another traveller, in a video posted to TikTok in 2024, issued a stark warning to anyone considering attempting a hike to Nusa Penida’s famous beaches.
‘My number one tip for Diamond Beach, Nusa Penida, is do not do the climb down,’ she wrote.
‘There have been numerous deaths over the years. The last part is actually so hard to get onto the beach that after climbing down for 40 minutes we had to turn around and climb back up.’
Local authorities in recent years had constructed the metal framework for a large elevator between the top of the cliff and beach, but construction was called off in 2025 following concerns over the impact to nature and increased tourist numbers.
An aerial view of Kelingking Beach and the surrounding ‘T-rex’ cliffs
Rescuers had to carry Ms Cronin’s body up the notoriously dangerous stairs
A large lift was built between the clifftop and sand to safely carry visitors down, but construction was called off and it has been largely dismantled since
The base of the abandoned lift could be seen in the background as emergency crews and tourists carried Ms Cronin’s body back up the treacherous track
It is not the first fatal fall at the site which is infamous for it’s dangerous hike to the beach
Rescuers on Saturday spent about 90 minutes carrying Ms Cronin’s body back up the cliff to an awaiting ambulance.
An earlier attempt to remove her body by boat had to be abandoned due to large and dangerous swells.
She was later taken to Griya Penida Medical Clinic.
The recovery operation involved Indonesia’s Search-and-Rescue Agency, the Indonesian Navy, police, lifeguards, tourists, and local residents.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is assisting Ms Cronin’s family.
‘We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,’ a spokesperson said.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli on Sunday said he was heartbroken for those who knew Ms Cronin.
‘A young woman on the trip of a lifetime, active and enjoying herself, and to have her life taken away in a heartbeat like that is incredibly sad,’ he said.
Ms Cronin’s body will be repatriated to Australia.