Man rescued twice from Mount Fuji; second time as he tried to get his forgotten phone

Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji rescue FILE PHOTO: Mountain Fuji is seen from a train travelling along the Tokaido Shinkansen on March 10, 2025. A man had to be rescued not once but twice from the mountain. (Photo by Aytug Can Sencar/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A man had to be rescued from Mount Fuji not once but twice and the second time was all over a lost phone.

Officials only identified the man as a 27-year-old Chinese student who lived in Japan, The Associated Press reported.

On April 22, he called the authorities for help and had to be airlifted after suffering from altitude sickness. Police said his climbing irons were also damaged. Climbing irons, or crampons, are spikes or spurs that are worn to help a person climb on snow and ice slopes.

He was airlifted from the mountain.

He climbed the Fujinomiya trail again to about 10,000 feet above sea level to retrieve his forgotten cell phone and other items he had left behind, police said, according to the AP.

He was found by another climber on April 26, who said the man was not able to move because of developing altitude sickness a second time.

He was “lying on the ground and shaking with abrasions,” NBC News reported. First responders carried him down the mountain on a stretcher about 2,600 feet before giving him to another emergency team.

The BBC reported that the man “is now out of danger.”

It is not known if he did get his phone, NBC News reported.

Mount Fuji climbing season is from July to early September and is the time that the hiking trails are officially open, but climbers can embark on a trek during the off season without a penalty, the AP reported. There is also no penalty for having to be rescued from the mountain.

Shizuoka police do warn that all climbers to use caution and that the mountain can have low temperatures and be covered in snow even in the spring, the AP reported. The weather conditions can also change suddenly, the BBC reported.

There is an entry fee and cap set for the most popular trails up the mountain to limit those who want to camp overnight to see the sunrise, and to control crowds. Other trails will see similar fees this year.

It costs 4,000 Yen, or around $30, to climb Mount Fuji, according to the official website.

In 2023, more than 220,000 people climbed Mount Fuji during the climbing season, the BBC reported.

0
Comments on this article
0
On AirHOT 105! - Today's R&B and Old School Logo

mobile apps

Everything you love about hot105.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!