Climber Rescued Twice in One Week After Going Back to Mount Fuji for Lost Phone

A climber was rescued twice in one week from Mount Fuji, Japan, after he ventured back to locate his lost cellphone, authorities reported on Monday. On Sunday, rescuers transported the man down from the Fujinomiya Trail, which is approximately 10,170 feet high.

The climber appeared to be suffering from altitude sickness but was not in a critical condition. The first call for help came five days earlier, on April 22, when the climber became nauseous after losing his crampons, which are crucial in walking on snow and ice.

He was airlifted from the peak of Mount Fuji at that time. However, the climber returned on Saturday to search for his personal belongings, including the missed cellphone, prompting further rescue efforts.

The individual involved has not been named but is a 27-year-old Chinese national and university student residing in Tokyo. Police in Shizuoka Prefecture received a report on Saturday from another hiker who had seen the student on the trail, lying on the ground and shivering with injuries.

The following day, rescuers carried him down roughly 2,600 feet on a stretcher before transferring him to an emergency medical team. It remained unclear whether he had retrieved his phone during his expedition.

Notably, the student was hiking Mount Fuji outside of the official climbing season, which starts in early July and runs until early September. There are no penalties associated with off-season hiking or rescues.

Mount Fuji, standing at 12,300 feet above sea level, is not only a national symbol of Japan but also a UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts hikers globally. For climbers, reservations and a fee of 4,000 yen ($36) are needed to enjoy the ascent, introduced to manage tourist numbers amid rising concerns about litter and overcrowded trails.

Local authorities noted that six climbers lost their lives on Mount Fuji in July 2024 alone, surpassing the total fatalities for the entire previous year.