Rescue Called Off for 2 Japanese Climbers Falling from K2

Jiji Press

11:03 JST, August 1, 2024

New Delhi, July 31 (Jiji Press) — Rescue work has been called off for two famed Japanese climbers who fell from K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, according to Japanese mountaineering equipment shop operator Ishii Sports Co..

Kazuya Hiraide, 45, from Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, and Kenro Nakajima, 39, from the western prefecture of Nara, slid down from a height of some 7,000 meters while climbing an untrodden route on the western wall, said Ishii Sports, to which the two belonged.

The two were spotted from a helicopter, but it could not land to rescue due to problems such as the steepness of the area. With the consent of their families, the company decided to end the rescue operations, considering that the two had not made any move since their fall and that there was a risk of collapse.

Ishii Sports praised the two for their achievements and said it will continue to provide support as much as possible.

K2, which is 8,611 meters tall and second only to Mount Everest, is located in the Karakoram range in northern Pakistan.

Both Hiraide and Nakajima have received the prestigious Piolets d’Or award, given to outstanding climbers, multiple times. In recent years, the pair focused on conquering new routes and unclimbed walls in many mountains.

Hiraide also received the Uemura Naomi Adventure Award, created as a tribute to legendary Japanese adventurer Naomi Uemura. Nakajima participated in a mountaineering project in a popular Japanese television show.

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