At that point, I'd probably just go home. A mountain climber needed rescuing not once but twice in only a few days from the iconic Mount Fuji in Japan. Remember this story next time that you feel second-hand embarrassment. At least you didn't need rescuing twice.
So why does a mountain climber need to be rescued twice in just a week? Did he not learn his lesson the first time? Well, you can blame a missing phone for the reason why. Rescuers saved the mountain climber from Mount Fuji the first time by airlifting him down the mountain. But he realized he had left his cellphone behind and decided to brave going up the mountain again.
27-year-olds, am I right? The first time, the Chinese college student had scaled Mount Fuji to about 12,000 feet when he felt altitude sickness. Upon returning to safety, he wanted his cellphone and belongings he left on the mountain. However, he only managed to scale to about 9,800 feet on Mount Fuji the second time before he needed help.
Mount Fuji Rescue
The college student once again fell ill. Fortunately, another hiker saw him struggling and called for a rescue. "He was suspected of having altitude sickness and was taken to hospital," a police official told Agence France-Presse.
It doesn't help that Japenese officials generally discourage trying to climb the mountain this time of year. It's considered the off-season. The summer and trails are closed during this time. So there's less support if you need help on the mountain.
"By strongly promoting comprehensive safety measures for climbing Mount Fuji, we will ensure that Mount Fuji, a treasure of the world, is passed on to future generations," Koutaro Nagasaki, governor of Yamanashi prefecture, said.
Japanese officials have been trying to educate would-be hikers on the dangers of the mountain. You'd be surprised by how many think they can hike the mountain in flip-flops or sandals for instance. Still, this is quite the situation that the college student found himself in. Here soon he'll get a rescue punch card for frequent visits. But in all seriousness, I hope there isn't a third time.
