A student in Japan had to be rescued twice within four days from Mount Fuji because he went back to the mountain to look for his phone, according to local authorities and media reports.Officials first had to rescue the 27-year-old Chinese student on Mount Fuji on April 22, outlets including Agence France-Presse (AFP) and BBC News. The outlets cited police in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture.Local officials said online that the unnamed mountaineer was alone on the Fujinomiya trail and called for help on April 22, prompting a rescue team to head out to find him. The man wasn’t able to head down the trail because he lost his crampons, devices attached to the bottom of shoes for better traction, reported BBC News.The Guardian reported a rescue team airlifted him from the mountain, which measures 12,388 feet in total.The man went back to the peak on April 25 because he left his phone and other items at the scene, according to media reports. Another climber found the student more than 9,800 feet above sea level on April 26, four days after the initial rescue, reported the Guardian.The incident happened during the offseason, as the 2025 climbing season is set to begin in early July and will last until early September, according to Mt. Fuji Climbing, a website dedicated to the summit.Officials from Shizuoka Prefecture did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s requests for comment on April 29.“He was suspected of having altitude sickness and was taken to hospital,” a police spokesperson said on Monday, per the Guardian and BBC News.It was not immediately clear whether or not he found his phone and other items.Mount Fuji is seen on Oct. 31, 2024 in Kawaguchiko Town, Japan.More on altitude sickness, risks of climbing Mount FujiMount Fuji was created from volcanic activity that started 100,000 years ago, per the Japan National Tourism Organization. It is the tallest peak in Japan.To hike the volcano, outdoor enthusiasts can choose from four different trails: Yoshida, Fujinomiya, Gotemba, and Subashiri trails, according to Mt. Fuji Climbing.Rescued: Missing hiker found alive in California mountains after being stranded for 10 daysSome risks associated with hiking Mount Fuji include altitude sickness, heat and cold, accidents and injury, typhoons, lighting, or stormy weather, volcanic eruption, taking the wrong path, and fatigue.The trail the man was on, Fujinomiya trail, has steep slopes and multiple rocky areas. Altitude sickness, which the student likely suffered from, is caused by a low oxygen level in the blood. Those who suffer from it but continue to climb can make the condition worse, Mt. Fuji Climbing said on its website. A lack of sleep and poor physical condition can also exasperate symptoms.According to the website, as hikers increase their altitude, the atmospheric pressure and oxygen concentration in the atmosphere decreases. The oxygen hikers take into their lungs becomes diluted, and the oxygen saturation level in the blood decreases.Those suffering from altitude sickness may experience:Headache, dizziness, and feeling faint.Feeling tired and lethargic, nauseous, or lethargic.A loss of appetite.Experts say in order to prevent altitude sickness, climbers can build up stamina, take a break for about 1 to 2 hours near Mount Fuji’s 5th station, and drink water frequently.Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Student rescued from Mt. Fuji twice after returning for phone: Reports
