NEED TO KNOW
• Two foreign climbers have been rescued after falling 1,312 feet on Mount Fuji’s closed Fujinomiya Trail in Japan
• The man and woman were located by emergency responders hours after their fall and airlifted to a local hospital
• Mount Fuji trails are closed outside of the summer months due to dangerous conditions, including freezing temperatures and avalanche risks
Two people have been rescued after falling over 1,300 feet while climbing on Mount Fuji in Japan, according to reports.
At around 3 p.m. local time on Monday, March 9, local police responded to reports that two foreign climbers, a man and a woman, fell near the seventh station on the Fujinomiya Trail of Japan’s highest peak, national outlets Asahi and Japan Today reported, citing the Fujinomiya Police.
The unidentified pair, who are believed to be work colleagues, fell approximately 1,312 feet, according to reports.
Three hikers climbing up on the peak of a mountain
Credit: Getty
The Shizuoka Prefectural Police Mountain Rescue Team arrived at the scene at around 10:40 p.m. on Monday. They located the two individuals near the Hoei crater, and they were airlifted to a local hospital for treatment, per Asahi.
The man and woman were reportedly conscious at the time of their rescue. The extent of their injuries is not known.
The climbers had visited the area with another male colleague, who called the police after witnessing the incident, according to Asahi and Japan Today.
The trail where the slip occurred has been closed to the public for the winter season since September 2025, Asahi reported.
According to the outlet, “all four trails leading from the fifth station to the 12,388 ft summit of Mount Fuji, including three in Shizuoka Prefecture and one in Yamanashi Prefecture, are closed to the public except during the summer climbing season, which ended on Sept. 10.”
Mount Fuji
Credit: Getty
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Climbing website Fujisan Climb echoed this, revealing that all trails leading to the Mt. Fuji’s summit are typically closed from September to April.
The closure is due to severe weather conditions, and the lack of first-aid stations or mountain huts should an accident occur.
“During the off-season, temperatures are usually below freezing, and from November to April, they often fall below 14°F, making conditions very dangerous,” Fujisan Climb’s website states.
“While temperatures may seem milder at other times, warmer weather in May and June melts the snow, increasing the risk of avalanches and falls … typhoons and heavy rain, along with dropping temperatures, also raises the risk of hypothermia.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Fujinomiya Police.
Read the original article on People
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