They were smiling at the camera. They asked their guide to film them from behind as they crossed the bridge. And then the wood beneath their feet gave way.
Jurgen Perjul (55) and Astrid Perjul (57), Austrian tourists believed to be husband and wife, died on Sunday, May 24, 2026, after falling approximately 20 meters onto large rocks below a suspension bridge at Cunca Wulang waterfall in West Manggarai Regency, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT).
The waterfall is one of Labuan Bajo’s popular inland attractions — a 1.5-hour drive from the town best known as the gateway to Komodo Island.
Muhamad Muhardin (30), their tour guide, witnessed the entire incident.
The Last Walk
The couple arrived at the waterfall area around 9:20 AM, accompanied by their private driver, Julius Mam (45). After registering at the ticket post, Muhardin guided them on the trek toward the waterfall.
When they reached the wooden suspension bridge — stretching high above a rocky river — the Austrians wanted to capture the moment.
“They were walking side by side, smiling warmly toward the camera,” Muhardin told reporters in Labuan Bajo on Sunday. “They asked me to take a video from behind as they crossed the bridge.”
He estimated they had walked only about 10 meters onto the bridge when the structure failed.
“Suddenly, I heard a very loud sound of breaking wood, like a large tree branch falling,” he said. “Within seconds, the bridge completely collapsed.”
He watched them fall.
“I saw them both fall freely and hit the large rocks at the bottom of the ravine.”
Evacuation and Investigation
Muhardin ran back to the ticket post to ask for help. A joint search and rescue team arrived soon after. The evacuation was difficult — the river terrain was steep, narrow, and covered in slippery rocks.
The bodies were eventually taken to Komodo Regional Hospital in Labuan Bajo.
Police have since installed police line tape around the scene.
“Our priority immediately after the incident was to evacuate the victims and secure the crime scene to maintain the integrity of physical evidence,” said AKBP Christian Kadang, chief of West Manggarai Police.
The suspension bridge was the main access route to Cunca Wulang waterfall, which is managed by the local tourism agency. Photographs from the scene show wooden planks missing from the bridge deck — the spot where the two tourists fell through.
Negligence Investigation Underway
Police are now investigating whether the waterfall management — under the West Manggarai Tourism, Creative Economy, and Culture Agency — was negligent.
“We are not playing around with tourist safety in the Manggarai Barat region,” Christian said. “Our identification team is conducting an in-depth crime scene investigation to examine the technical feasibility of the wooden bridge.”
Police will also question the management about safety standards and infrastructure maintenance.
“We will also summon the management of the Cunca Wulang tourist destination for intensive questioning regarding safety standards and the maintenance of infrastructure they have implemented,” Christian added.
Authorities are also coordinating with the Austrian Embassy in Jakarta regarding the handling of the victims’ bodies, their personal belongings, and repatriation.
What This Means for Travelers
For tourists planning trips to Labuan Bajo — whether for the famous Komodo dragons or the region’s growing number of inland waterfalls — the incident raises a question that no guidebook answers: how safe are the bridges?
Wooden suspension bridges in remote Indonesian destinations are often built with local materials and maintained irregularly. For tourists, a bridge that looks rustic can also be unsafe.
The deaths of two Austrian visitors in their mid-50s — an age group that frequently travels to Indonesia for nature-based tourism — may prompt closer inspection of similar infrastructure across the archipelago.
For now, Cunca Wulang waterfall is closed. Police are investigating. And two families in Austria are waiting for answers.
Comments 1