Seven snowboarders who had been missing in the mountains near a ski resort in
Akiotacho, Hiroshima Prefecture, since Sunday, were rescued near National
Highway Route 488 in Masuda, Shimane Prefecture, at 9:35 a.m. on Tuesday, the
Akiotacho municipal government's disaster countermeasures office said.
The snowboarders descended from the mountain, accompanied by members of the
Ground Self-Defense Force, and were carried by helicopters to three hospitals in
Hiroshima.
The seven are Takahiko Aoki, 34, self-employed, and Yasuo Matsubara, 34, a
carpenter, both of Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture; Shigenori Hattori, 40, a
carpenter of Hiraocho, Yamaguchi Prefecture; Akihiko Sugiyama, 36, self-employed
of Nishi Ward, Hiroshima; Nobuyuki Nakamura, 30, a company employee of Higashi
Ward, Hiroshima; Muneaki Kaneto, 33, and Shinichi Hatahashi, 31, both of whom
are part-time workers at the Osorakan Ski Field resort.
According to the countermeasures office, a rescue team comprising 24
personnel from a local fire brigade and the GSDF found two of the missing seven
snowboarding along a road connecting Mt. Kyurakan to Mt. Hiromi in Shimane
Prefecture.
Acting on information from the two, the squad found the other five about 100
meters east on a forest road. The five were also descending from the mountain by
snowboarding or walking.
The squad informed the countermeasures office of their discovery by radio.
The seven took shelter in an abandoned primary school building. They shared
food they carried with them, such as energy bars, and built a fire. The snow was
about 2 meters deep in the area where they got lost and was difficult to walk
in, the office said.
At 10:50 a.m., the seven boarded ambulances and GSDF vehicles that waited on
the national highway in Masuda. They were then taken to Hikimi Chuo Park in the
city, where they boarded helicopters to hospitals in Hiroshima.
The search efforts, involving about 600 people, began at about 7:20 a.m. GSDF
personnel trained in mountain-rescue procedures rode to the top of the mountain
on a lift, followed by a rescue team of the Hiroshima prefectural police.
The GSDF members searched the southwestern part of 1,346-meter-high Mt.
Osorakan, while the police searched from a helicopter.
The snowboarders climbed Mt. Osorakan between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Sunday. They were last heard from about 3:30 p.m. on the same day, by cell
phone.
Five were visitors to the ski resort and the other two were part-time workers
at the resort. All had more than 10 years of snowboarding experience, but were
not properly equipped for the harsh weather conditions.
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Rescued 7 relieved, apologetic
Looking relieved after being rescued 42 hours after they went missing Sunday,
the seven snowboarders apologized at press conferences in Hiroshima on Tuesday
for the trouble caused by their reckless actions.
Meanwhile, sleep-deprived family members were pleased that their loved ones
had been rescued.
The seven underwent medical examinations, but none needed to be hospitalized.
Kaneto said, "I completely underestimated the mountain, but was made aware of
its rigors in winter."
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