This is the first Komodo victim, a Swiss tourist

Komodo is a dangerous animal, also for humans.

The first victim who died as a result of his attack was a tourist from Switzerland and this is his grave.
The first recorded victim of a Komodo attack occurred in July 1974. The victim was Baron Rudolf Reding von Biberegg, a tourist from Switzerland. Baron and his entourage of 30 people were attacked by Komodo dragons on Komodo Island.

They ran scattered when attacked. The rest of the group managed to escape death. They survived the Komodo attack.

Baron experienced a different fate. He did not return, nor was he found when searched. Baron, who was 70 years old at the time, was declared missing on Komodo Island.

The search team only found Baron's camera and glasses scattered on top of Komodo Island.

Later, at the place where the camera was found, the last place he sat exploring Komodo Island, a tomb was made for Baron. The tomb without a body, a memorial to the Baron's death.

In the tomb stuck a white cross.

"Its location is at the top of Komodo Island, where Baron Rudolf Reding von Biberegg's camera was found in 1974. The place where his cross was stuck was the last place he sat when he explored Komodo Island," explained Secretary of the Indonesian Tour Guide Association (DPC HPI) West Manggarai branch, Stanislaus Gusdin, in a statement. Labuan Bajo, Sunday (30/7/2023).

Sten explained that Baron and his entourage were exploring the beauty of Komodo National Park. They carry out trekking activities on Komodo Island, one of the habitats of these wild animals. They started their trekking by taking the Loh Sabita-Loh Liang route on Komodo Island.

"In the middle of the journey, to be precise at the peak after passing through the Poreng Valley, Baron was separated from his group. When the group arrived at Loh Liang, they realized that Baron was not seen. A search was carried out with the help of local residents on Komodo Island," explained Sten.

"Less than a week of Baron's search was not found. Speculation arose that Baron was preyed upon by a Komodo dragon. Because the only item found during the search was the camera used to document his vacation," he continued.

He said the location of the tomb without bodies was quite far from Loh Liang. For those of you who want to visit there, you have to trek for about two hours from Loh Liang. "If trekking four hours round trip," he said.

Almost half a century later, exactly 49 years after the Baron was declared missing on Komodo Island, a family from Switzerland came on a pilgrimage to the Baron's bodyless grave on Komodo Island.

The Baron family who came were two women, Susane and Lena. It was Sten who took Susane and Lena to the Baron's tomb on July 27 2023. It is unknown whether the Baron's family made a pilgrimage there before.