Man rescued from Mount Fuji twice in one week

Mount Fuji is covered in snow for most of the year. File Pic/Istock

A man in his 20s was airlifted from Japan's Mount Fuji and then rescued again from its steep slopes just days later because he returned to find his phone, according to media reports. Police said the Chinese university student, who lives in Japan, was found on Saturday by another off-season hiker on a trail more than 3000 metres (9800 feet) above sea level.

"He was suspected of having altitude sickness and was taken to hospital," a police spokesman said on Monday. Later, officers discovered that the man was the same one who had been rescued on Mount Fuji four days previously. Police could not immediately confirm the reports, which said the man - having been rescued by helicopter on Tuesday - returned on Friday to retrieve his mobile phone, which he forgot to bring with him during the first rescue.

Mount Fuji, an active volcano and Japan's highest peak, is covered in snow for most of the year. Its hiking trails are open from early July to early September. People are dissuaded from hiking outside of the summer season because conditions can be quite treacherous.

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