March 6, 2023. Hokkaido Newspaper.
A series of backcountry skiing accidents in Hokkaido: A man died on Mt. Yotei, and a man went missing (later confirmed dead) on Mt. Pekerebetsu in Shimizu Town. On March 5, there were a series of accidents involving backcountry skiers in Hokkaido. On Mt. Yotei (1,898 meters) in Makkari Village, Shiribeshi District, Mr. Fujishima (35), a resident of Toyohira Ward, Sapporo City, was found with a part of his body sticking out of the snow. He was transported to hospital but later confirmed dead at the hospital. A man in his 60s from Niikappu Town, Hidaka, was caught in an avalanche on Mt. Pekerebetsu (1,532 meters) in Shimizu-Town, Tokachi, and was reported missing, later confirmed dead. Around 11:25 am on March 5 in Makkari Village, the local Fire Department was notified by his family that Mr. Fujishima had gone missing while backcountry skiing on Mt. Yotei. According to the Kutchan Police Station, a Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Helicopter that received the call found Mr. Fujishima near the 5th Station on the Makkari Village side of Mt. Yotei and airlifted him to hospital, where he was confirmed dead. There was evidence of an avalanche at the scene. Investigators believe he was caught in an avalanche. Mr. Fujishima and his father, who is in his 60s, entered Mt. Yotei around 5 a.m. on March 5. His father reported that they had taken separate routes down the mountain. Also at around 12:20 pm on March 5 on Mt. Pekerebetsu in Shimizu Town, an emergency 110 call was made to report that a skier was caught in an avalanche. According to the Shintoku Police Station, a Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Helicopter confirmed that an avalanche trail measuring 250 meters long and 10 meters wide was spotted on the northeastern slope towards the summit of the mountain, and that two skis were seen in the snow but there wasn’t any sign of the missing man. A 12-man Hokkaido Police Mountain Rescue Team will start the search for him from March 6 at 5:30am. According to the people who accompanied him on the descent, the avalanche caught up a man in his 60s from Niikappu Town in the Hidaka Jurisdiction. According to the Shintoku Police Station and other sources, the man was with a total of four people, including a man and a woman from Sapporo and Obihiro, respectively. The other three descended the mountain safely. Everyone entered the mountain for backcountry skiing. The man in his 60s was equipped with a radio wave transmitter/receiver (beacon) but apparently he did not check if it was operating before entering the mountain. According to the Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory, the maximum temperature in Hokkaido on March 5 was as warm as mid-March to mid-April, and an avalanche warning was issued throughout Hokkaido.
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