Chishiki 2009-03-03 02:14:39
Man breaks leg in Mount Youtei avalanche, Hokkaido Police to conduct rescue effort
Early in the afternoon of March 2nd, the 110 emergency call center received a call that a man had broken his leg after getting caught up in an avalanche while climbing 1898 meter Mount Youtei.
According to the Kutchan police, a group of four got caught in a slide around the 1250 meter mark, and Hiro Oobashi of Hakodate sustained a fracture near his right knee. The 3 other men, 2 from Sapporo and 2 from Niseko, have not suffered any injuries.
After descending about 100 meters, the group gave up on trying to descend the mountain and called for help using a mobile phone. They are spending the night on the mountain, as the Hokkaido police are unable to conduct a night rescue. The rescue effort will begin again early this morning.