• A 27-year-old student needed help after looking for his lost phone
  • He had to be rescued twice in the off-season
  • He suffered altitude sickness
Student rescued twice from Mount Fuji
Student rescued twice from Mount Fuji Credit: IMAGO

A student rescued from Mount Fuji needed help again after looking for his lost mobile phone.

The man, who was only identified as a 27-year-old Chinese national, first called for medical help on 22 April after getting hit with altitude sickness. He was using the mountain’s Fujinomiya trail, which is an estimated 3,000 metres above sea level.

Currently, it is the mountain’s off-peak season, a time when treacherous conditions are prevalent.

However, four days later, local authorities said they got a follow-up rescue call after the student apparently went back on the mountain to look for his phone and other items left at the scene.

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No charge is usually recorded after a rescue attempt by Shizuoka police but the case prompted mass outrage on social media.

Mount Fuji’s hiking trails are officially open from July to early September, but there is no blanket ban on hiking outside of this period.

All climbers have been recommended to exercise caution whilst on the mountain, reminding potential climbers it has low temperatures and it is snow laden during the spring.

In 2024, authorities introduced entry fees and limits on the number of people allowed on the mountain’s most popular trail. They asserted they will continue down this route in the following months on the biggest trails. During the off-season and for those opting not use a trail, there is no charge.

What did social media say about the student rescued from Mount Fuji twice?

The internet had a lot to say about the traveller who needed to be rescued twice.

“This a Tim Robinson bit,” someone said, referencing the Netflix comedy sketch show, I Think You Should Leave.

Others were more in disbelief than able to find a joke in the story.

“Can you believe this?,” another person asked.

Others praised the diligence of those who rescued the student.

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“Not all heroes wear capes,” someone posted on X.

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Clara Hill
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