Two Hongkongers rescued in Japan, having taken shelter in a snow hole after ski trip goes wrong
- The pair were stranded after one of the men’s skiing gear got damaged, and spent Saturday night in a hole they had burrowed in the snow
- They posted their location on social media, leading rescuers to them
Two troubled skiers from Hong Kong were rescued at a popular Japanese ski destination after taking shelter against the elements overnight in a snow hole they made for themselves when an expedition went wrong.
The men, aged 45 and 57, left their inn in Mount Tokachi, in Kamifurano, central Hokkaido for the ski trip on Saturday.
But they had failed to return by dinner time and the inn staff called police at about 11pm, Japanese media reported.
A search was launched.
They were located at an altitude of 1,866 metres at 7.40am on Sunday.
They were conscious and uninjured, although one of them appeared to be debilitated, and was taken by helicopter to safety.
According to media reports, the men posted their location to friends on social media on Saturday afternoon, helping rescuers narrow down the search area.
Local police told reporters the pair became stranded after the older man’s skiing gear got damaged.
The Hong Kong Immigration Department said it had not received calls for assistance over the case. It would keep in contact with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the city and China’s consulate general in Sapporo.
