NEED TO KNOW
Influencer Luciana Dangond and her friend Gerónimo Ibarra were found on June 29 near the Rosario Islands, an archipelago in Colombia, roughly 20 hours after they had disappeared on jet skis off the coast of Punta Barú
The pair had rented jet skis, which stopped working when they were roughly 2 kilometers from shore
In interviews with press, Dangond and Ibarra recounted their harrowing 20 hours at sea — describing how they feared for their lives as they desperately tried to call for help
An influencer and her friend have been rescued after they were stranded for nearly a day at sea.
Luciana Dangond, a 20-year-old content creator, and her friend Gerónimo Ibarra, 18, were found on June 29 near the Rosario Islands, an archipelago in Colombia, roughly 20 hours after they had disappeared on jet skis off the coast of Punta Barú, a peninsula in the country, reported local outlet Blu Radio.
Citing the Colombian Navy, the outlet reported that Dangond and Ibarra’s relatives said they had rented jet skis and had last been seen on June 28 around 2:30 p.m. After a rescue mission — which included three navy ships, a maritime patrol aircraft, a helicopter and five Coast Guard rapid reaction units — the pair were discovered around 11 a.m. the next day, per Blu Radio.
“Thank God Gerónimo Ibarra and Luciana Dandong have appeared safe and sound,” wrote Dumek Turbay, mayor of Cartagena, Colombia, in a June 29 translated statement on X, adding that they were receiving medical care.
“I am especially grateful to the Barú community, which immediately upon learning of the disappearance mobilized, united in their search,” he continued. “It was fundamental in finding them.”
Across Instagram and TikTok, Dangond maintains a following of over 40,000, known for sharing lifestyle content.
In interviews with press after they were rescued, Dangond and Ibarra recounted their harrowing 20 hours at sea — describing how they feared for their lives as they desperately tried to call for help.
Ibarra told reporters that the pair were roughly two kilometers from shore when their jet ski stopped working. At first, they considered swimming to shore, he said, but the current swept them further from land. As night fell, Ibarra said they saw police boats and helicopters but were unable to get their attention.
Luciana Dangond
Credit: Luciana Dangond/Instagram
Ibarra continued that, around midnight, he and Dangond were “exhausted” and decided to huddle together with their life jackets to prevent hypothermia.
In an interview, Dangond told reporters, “There was a point where I said, ‘We’re going to die. This is the end for us.’ ”
The internet personality added that neither of them had a cell phone, so they were unable to call for help.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“It really changes your mindset,” she said of the experience. “Honestly, I felt like I was being born again.”
Luciana Dangond
Credit: Luciana Dangond/Instagram
In a post to her Instagram Stories on June 30, Dangond continued to reflect on the scary ordeal.
“God sustained me when no one else could,” she wrote. “I hope we can choose empathy over hate. May the heart weigh more than judgement and humanity more than words.”
Read the original article on People
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’














