A climber was rescued twice in a week from Japan’s Mount Fuji after returning to search for his lost phone. The 27-year-old Chinese national, living in Tokyo, suffered altitude sickness during his first attempt to retrieve personal belongings, including his cellphone, left behind during an earlier hike on April 22. On that occasion, he had to be airlifted from the peak after losing his crampons and experiencing nausea.
On Sunday, the climber was found on the Fujinomiya Trail at approximately 10,170 feet, where he was carried down on a stretcher after being spotted lying on the ground with abrasions and shivering. Despite his condition, he was not deemed life-threatening. Local police were alerted after another climber reported seeing him.
The student’s return to the peak occurred outside the official climbing season, which typically runs from early July to early September. While there are no penalties for off-season hiking, climbers are advised to prepare well in advance. A new fee of 4,000 yen (about $36) was introduced in July 2024 to manage tourist numbers and address concerns about litter and overcrowding, limiting climbers to 4,000 per day.
Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site and national symbol of Japan, attracts many hikers annually. Authorities noted a rise in fatalities, with six climbers reported to have died in July 2024 alone, a figure surpassing those in the entire previous year. Rescuers were unable to confirm whether the climber managed to recover his phone.
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