Society

Four people who went missing on Hokkaido's tallest mountain found alive

Oct 19 (Japan Times) - Four people were found alive Wednesday on snowy Mount Asahidake in Hokkaido after they went missing Tuesday, police and rescue workers said.

The four - two Japanese and two other Asians - were spotted late Wednesday afternoon on the mountain, the highest peak in Hokkaido, during a search and rescue operation that included local police and Ground Self-Defense Force personnel.

They were expected to be transported to hospital, possibly later in the day, according to local police.

The police received a call for help from a Japanese man at around 7:35 p.m. Tuesday. He said that they lost their way while descending the 2,291-meter peak.

A woman who said she was Singaporean later called the police Wednesday morning, saying all four were safe. But police were subsequently unable to contact them. One person is said to be unable to walk, possibly suffering from hypothermia, the police said.

The two Japanese are 71-year-old Masahiko Kato from Yokohama and his 65-year-old wife Yumiko who started climbing the mountain Tuesday morning. They apparently gave up on reaching the top due to bad weather and got lost on their way down as it became dark.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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