Mystery on Mt. Fuji: Three Bodies Found During Search Mission

It was a particularly deadly week at Mt. Fuji. Four people died on the Japanese mountain, and the circumstances surrounding three of the four deaths are still a mystery, including when and how the three climbers died. First responders went looking for a man who hadn’t returned home after summiting Mt. Fuji this weekend. They discovered three bodies near Mt. Fuji’s crater, and then another climber died, too.

“While searching for the [missing] man, police found three people in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest at the crater on the Shizuoka Prefecture side of the summit,” reports NHK World Japan. “Police say the three appear to be climbers, and they were found separately at slightly different locations.”

NHK World says law enforcement is still working to identify the mysterious Mt. Fuji bodies and determine how they died. It’s not clear whether the missing man is thought to be among those who died.

Trails for climbing Japan’s highest mountain don’t open until the season begins next month, but some people attempt to climb the mountain early. Unfortunately, some of these risk takers never come home.

Then, Another Mt. Fuji Hiker Died

Sadly, another hiker died the same day the rescuers found the three unidentified bodies (Wednesday). NHK World reports the man collapsed while climbing. His companion called for help, which came, but the man later died at the hospital.