‘We built an igloo’ – Israelis rescued from freezing Japanese mountain

Three Israeli snowboarders were rescued after getting stranded at the summit of Mount Shiroma in Japan.

By World Israel News Staff

Three Israeli snowboarders were rescued on Tuesday after being trapped at the summit of a freezing mountain in Japan for nearly 24 hours.

The men, identified by Hebrew-language media as Dor Mordechai, Yoav David, and Yair Raz Yaya, deviated from an official trail on Mount Shirouma.

Speaking to Ynet, David explained that the trio had planned to explore a well-known backcountry route, but due to a “navigation” error, they found themselves stranded.

The men, who are all IDF reservists, had a cellphone with which they were able to call for help.

The Israeli consulate in Japan, along with local Japanese police and rescue forces, were unable to immediately rescue the Israelis due to weather conditions.

“We built an igloo and cuddled together to stay warm,” David told Ynet. “There were tough moments throughout the night, like when they told us it was impossible for us to be rescued by helicopter and that we’d need to spend the night in the snow, when we were already dehydrated and temperatures were low.”

The rescued men were transported to a local hospital, where they were found to be in good condition despite suffering mild hypothermia and frostbite.

In a statement, Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen thanked “the extraordinary efforts of the Japanese police and the rescue forces on the ground for making the extraction possible.”

Cohen also thanked “the Japanese Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Embassy in Japan for their cooperation and assistance. The lives of Israelis abroad are our top priority.”

“The operations room team worked around the clock in full cooperation with the Israeli consulate, the unit for Israelis abroad, and the local police,” said Magnus Search and Rescue, a group that organizes extractions of Israelis abroad from life-threatening situations.

“Our efforts, in cooperation with all parties involved, led to the best result – the safe return of the travelers home. This is a moment of satisfaction and pride for all of us.”