Body found in search for Mount Fuji climber seen falling on YouTube

Japanese police have found a body on Mount Fuji after a search for a man who was seen falling while livestreaming his climb up the mountain on YouTube.

Police in Shizuoka, one of two prefectures that include Japan’s highest mountain, began the search on Tuesday after receiving calls from viewers of the livestream.

Police found the body at an altitude of about 9,800ft up the 12,389ft peak, and are checking whether it is that of the man seen in the video.

The video, titled “Let’s Go to Snowy Mt Fuji”, shows a man who identifies himself as TEDZU.

The man complains repeatedly about his cold fingers. “My fingers are killing me. But I have to operate my smartphone. I should have brought a hot pack,” he says.

The snow-covered path becomes narrower as he walks along a cliff-side fence.

Then the path slopes down, and the man cautions himself against falling.

“Oh, this place is slippery, getting dangerous,” the man says. “I’m trying to walk by the rocks, yes, rocks. It’s a steep downhill.”

“Wait,” he says, “I’m slipping.” The noise of his slide can be heard on the video.

The fall accelerates. The video then shows him sliding feet-up, with his hiking sticks hurtling away, before the footage ends abruptly.

Mount Fuji’s climbing season ended last month. There is no law prohibiting climbers from entering the mountain at other times, police said.