A hiker was tragically witnessed falling to his death during a live stream on Mount Fuji after uttering a haunting final word. The man, identified as Tedzo, was found deceased two days later following numerous concerned calls from viewers who had watched the distressing incident unfold in 2019.
Mount Fuji, a popular tourist spot with over 300,000 annual trekkers, prohibits climbing during the winter months in Japan. Despite this, Tedzo attempted to reach the peak on Monday, September 29, as reported by the Providence Journal.
In the footage, captured from the hiker’s perspective, Tedzo can be heard gasping while expressing his urgency to reach the summit. He lamented about his frozen hands, trying to warm them by placing them under his armpits and regretting not bringing a smartphone holder.
As the path narrowed with a barrier on the left, he continued his descent, commenting on the slippery and perilous conditions. His final words, “slipping,” were followed by the sound of his fall captured on the live stream before it abruptly ended.
Authorities received multiple calls reporting the dangerous climb, prompting a search operation. A rescue team found signs of a fall on Tuesday and located a body on Wednesday, although the identity was yet to be confirmed.
The official climbing season for Mount Fuji had ended earlier, with warnings against attempting climbs during the offseason due to extreme risks. Despite these warnings, incidents like Tedzo’s unfortunate accident and other fatalities, such as a Russian woman’s death from a falling rock, serve as stark reminders of the dangers of off-season climbing on the iconic mountain.