Rescue called off in GB after Japanese climber deemed untraceable

GILGIT: A rescue mission was called off after one of the two Japanese mountaineers, Atsushi Taguchi, remained untraceable during an extensive search on Spantik peak in Shigar district as rescuers believe he is no more.

On the other hand, consultation is underway to start a mission to bring down the body of the other member of the Japanese expedition team, Ryuseki Hiraoka, from the peak.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Shigar Deputy Commissioner Waliullah Falahi along with Naiknaam Karim, CEO of Adventure Tours Pakistan, and local rescuers said the two Japanese climbers went missing during their attempt to summit 7,027-metre Spantik peak.

On June 13, an aerial search operation was launched by Pakistan Army helicopters. In the search operation, the Japanese climbers were located at 5,300-metre altitude. However, due to the challenging terrain and weather conditions, the helicopters were unable to land or hover in the area to reach them.

Family being consulted to bring back body of another member of the expedition

Subsequently, a day later, a nine-member ground rescue team comprising four Japanese climbers who were already at the base camp, launched a mission to rescue the fellow climbers. They reached camp 2 at 5,300m altitude on June 15 evening. They descended 300 metres deep into a crevice to rescue the climbers. After a very risky and dangerous mission, the team managed to recover the body of Ryuseki Hiraoka and kept it at a safe place.

However, the team members could not spot the other climber, Atsushi Taguchi, and finally had to return to base camp. The team searched extensively to trace the missing climber and couldn’t trace. Subsequently, the rescue team suspended their expedition and returned to the base camp same day.

“The Japanese climbers had fallen into the 300-metre-deep crevice. Most probably he is buried under snow or has fallen deep down in the abyss. His survival is not possible. More search will be a futile exercise, the rescuers believe after abandoning the search,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Falahi said the mission to search for another Japanese missing climber Atsushi Taguchi has been officially called off.

While talking to reporters, the rescue team members earlier said he was presumed dead as his body couldn’t be traced despite hectic efforts. According to some rescuers, his body might surface when snow melts in August.

Efforts to retrieve body

DC Falahi said every effort was made to trace and rescue the two Japanese in consultation with Japanese embassy officials and family members of the climbers. Adventure Tours Pakistan CEO Naiknaam Karim said as soon as information about ‘missing’ climbers was received, they initiated all-out efforts to rescue them.

Unfortunately, both Japanese climbers were not alive, he said. Rescuers utilised their best efforts and skills to trace and reach the climbers and they managed to bring one of the two bodies to a safer place, he added.

Mr Karim, however, regretted that despite having a big potential for adventure tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan, little attention was paid to train local guides and as there was only one mountain school to train high-altitude porters, guides and climbers.

Bringing down the recovered body from the peak is a hard job, as it requires strong, high-altitude porters and helicopters, besides huge funding.

Mr Karim said the decision to start the mission to bring back the body of Ryuseki Hiraoka would be taken after consultation with family members.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2024