A hiker livestreamed his final moments after deciding to climb to the peak of Mount Fuji in Japan despite trails and huts being closed for the Winter season. Viewers watching the stream witnessed the man, who went by the name “Tedzo” online, slipping on the trail before losing his balance and tumbling down. The authorities were contacted and his body was discovered two days later.
The incident occurred back in 2019 but serves as a reminder as to why it’s important to follow the guidelines when it comes to hiking mountains during the Winter season. According to The Providence Journal, the livestream featured Tedzo attempting to climb to the summit, in the footage he can be heard saying, “I’m rushing to the peak.,” while somewhat out of breath.
Later in the video he can be heard complaining about his cold hands, saying, “My fingers are losing sensation. I wish I had brought a smartphone holder.” However, things go wrong when the path begins to get narrower, Tedzo notes that, “it’s so slippery, it’s dangerous,” but still he carries on. Then he begins to slip. His final word is simply “slipping,” which he utters right before losing his grip on the path and falling to his death.
What was Tedzo doing there?
So why was Tedzo climbing Mount Fuji in the first place? And why was he doing it during the Winter season? The reality of Tedzo’s situation was truly tragic. His real name, according to the YouTube Channel, Dark Records, was Tetsu Shiohara, and he had become somewhat reclusive over the years but took great joy in livestreaming his hiking adventures and other snippets of his life.
Another important detail was that Tetsu had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and had wanted to live his life to the fullest. This likely played a part in his somewhat reckless decision to climb the mountain during the Winter period. While he had made the climb up Mount Fuji with another livestreamer before, this time he was alone, and it was much more treacherous.
Ultimately, Tetsu’s life would end on a stream with him tumbling down the mountainside. Footage shows a barrage of images as the camera falls with him, boots, climbing poles, and a smartphone are seen before the camera freezes on a shot of the snow, a rock, and a part of a blue pole.
Tetsu was found two days later after concerned viewers informed the authorities. He had been hiking the mountain on September 29th, although the trail and huts had all been closed since September 10th.
