On the morning of July 15, Japanese rescue forces safely rescued two Vietnamese women on Mount Biei in Hokkaido.
Japanese police and firefighters said that at 6 p.m. on July 14 (local time), two Vietnamese women in their 30s sent a distress signal from Mount Biei (2,052 meters) in Hokkaido, saying they were "exhausted and unable to go on."
The two women had been hiking with two others. Two of the group had gone down the mountain first and called the fire department for help. They said their friend had injured her knee and was unable to move.
The two spent the night of July 14 in a tent on the mountain. The rescue team confirmed that the two were safe at midnight, but due to the dangerous terrain and darkness, they could not guarantee the safety of the injured woman if they traveled by road. Therefore, on the morning of July 15, the rescue team mobilized a helicopter to rescue and bring the two women down the mountain safely.