Three young Israeli snowboarders were rescued on Tuesday after being stranded in the Hakuba Mountain range in central Japan while suffering from hypothermia, the embassy confirmed.
They had been stuck there for around 24 hours due to severe weather conditions, and were trapped in sub-zero temperatures in a state of hypothermia.
The trio are reservists aged 27-28 and were trapped after straying from the marked snowboarding trail.
During the rescue operations, Israel’s ambassador to Japan, Gilad Cohen, spoke with the US ambassador to the country, Rahm Emanuel, who instructed US military forces in Japan to stand by to assist, Ynet reported. After the rescue was complete, Cohen said that “Throughout the night and morning, we worked around the clock at the embassy along with all relevant parties in Japan and with the US ambassador.
“We are happy that our three young men were rescued safely,” he continued.
The Foreign Ministry announced that they had been working with local authorities on trying to help rescue the three individuals.
“Consul Israel Avinoam Mizrahi went to the area where the incident took place, and the Magnus rescue company was working to rescue them,” the ministry announced.
Complex rescue situation
Rescue teams had initially been unable to reach them because their location was near a river that made the situation more complex.
Their phones were left at 15%, and they have remained in contact with Magnus rescue and had been receiving instructions on how to stay warm and survive the night. The young men reported that they were “freezing cold,” and that the battery in their mobile phone was running low before a rescue team later went out and managed to reach them during the night.
The three Israelis stranded on Mount Hakuba in northern Japan have been successfully rescued.The Embassy of Israel in Japan worked closely with the Japanese police and rescue teams, whose exceptional efforts made this operation possible. We extend our profound gratitude for…
— Gilad Cohen ️ (@GiladCohen_) January 7, 2025
A local team of 11 rescuers went to the three. One rescue vehicle arrived at the police station in the area, and part of the team went directly to the site, according to Ynet. The three were rescued in good health.
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
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