Drama at Devil’s Tears, Lembongan as tourists warned to take care after man’s horror near-death experience

Visitors to Indonesia’s holiday island Nusa Lembongan should beware of a popular tourist attraction, following a Burns Beach man’s recent near-death experience there.

The attraction, which draws thousands of visitors every year, is called Devil’s Tears — an appropriate name given that it has claimed at least seven lives in recent years.

Devil’s Tears is a treacherous stretch of rocky coastline on which the sea pounds spectacularly, then pours back through gaping holes in the cliff — like tears.

Visitors to the island pay $2.50 to view the spectacle from a roped-off area which, most of the time, is high, dry and safe.

But all too often, rogue waves appear seemingly from nowhere, flooding the viewing area and dragging sightseers back into the maelstrom. They have little chance of survival.

There are no warning signs, just a kiosk selling refreshments.

Last week’s victim, Steve Ayris, was standing in the designated area, well inside the rope, when a massive wave surged against the low cliff, flooding the viewing area and knocking him over.

His wife Joanne, who was standing a few metres further back, watched helpless and horrified.

Steve managed to hang on to sharp coral but he had to be flown back to Perth for emergency surgery on multiple deep lacerations and an exposed bone in his toe.

+ Cyril Ayris was a long-term senior reporter for The West Australian and is Steve Ayris’ father.