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Dead hikers found crushed between rocks on volcano

30 Comments
By Miwa Suzuki

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Anyone know if the searchers are using search-and-rescue dogs? I haven't seen any indication in the news, so maybe they are ineffective at finding victims completely buried in the ash?

You would think that after 3/11 there would be many more new teams of searchers and dogs scattered throughout the country and ready for deployment, in case of another disaster---such as this one.

-11 ( +4 / -15 )

I'm not sure how much use dogs would be in an environment of sulphur gas and fine volcanic ash? Wouldn't sniffing the ash ruin the dog's nose - maybe even ruin the dog's lungs?

13 ( +15 / -3 )

The ash, when put under microscope, take aloof. Sharp edged sharps of potential serious disease, they are free crystalline silica known to cause silicosis, a disabling and potential fatal lung. The survivors are only just beginning their fight if they inhaled the cash.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Cleo is right. There are many situations where search dogs cannot be used. I think the sulphur stench and ash would make it very difficult, plus getting them up there would be hard. There are teams across the country ready for disasters, such as Hiroshima last month. What surprised me was that apart from police dogs, search and rescue dog teams work on a completely voluntary basis....no food, shelter, gasoline.etc is provided for these brave people and their dogs.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

What a horrible way to die... RIP to those who died on the volcano, and I hope the survivors don't suffer any serious ill effects.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I feel terrible for all those who died in this natural disaster and for their families and friends they leave behind but I have to ask the question "why would you go hiking on a volcano even if it was dormant"?

-11 ( +4 / -13 )

Man, pretty gruesome stuff. I can't imagine the panic or the horror of those hiding in the huts. RIP to all those lost.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Dear me: Goddamn predictive text! The ash, when put under a microscope, take a look. Sharp edged shards of potential serious disease, they are free crystalline silica known to cause silicosis, a disabling and potential fatal lung. The survivors are only just beginning their fight if they inhaled the ash.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The awful thought is how much worse things can be if Fuji san blows one day.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@Hawk, it isn't dormant, it's active, was active, an active volcano is classified as one that has education since the last ice age.

@Kaer:It is not a question of 'if' but when, scientists say Fuji has a cycle of more or less every 300 years.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

At this stage, Im thinking of the rescuers, as well. They are pushing themselves to help as many as they can and are being tested mentally and physically everyday trying to help others. The things theyve seen that they would rather not have. Stay hydrated, get some rest, and good luck.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@UK9393 I'm not understanding a word you're saying. "education since the last ice age"? "when put under a microscope take aloof"? "sharp edged sharps know to cause a potential fatal lung"? "inhale cash"?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

When the first reports came out that only 3?? Had died, I thought to my self, I hope I'm wrong but 3 or 4 is way too low!! Now, almost 50 confirmed dead, terrible but Mother Nature can strike at any moment!! Dogs?? No dogs?? The hikers are dead and now it's just a race against time! Maybe 1 thing to improve is to make sure all hikers are registered before going

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

A big おみごと to the rescue workers. They have a very difficult task. Sadly, I fear their mission is no longer a search and rescue. It's just a recovery mission now.

I'm wondering how this is going to effect the national pastime of climbing these volcanoes. Damn sure I wouldn't be in a hurry to go up any volcanoes. The thing is though, most of Japan's volcanoes are connected as they run along the same fault. This means that any of the 150 odd volcanoes in Japan could erupt at any time, as this one did. I remember reading a recent article about a Mt. Fuji eruption. If it erupts there could be as many as 12 million evacuees and if it erupts without warning the death toll could be in the tens or hundreds of thousands depending on the wind direction and severity of the eruption. Pretty scary stuff if you live in Shizuoka, Yamanashi or Kanagawa.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

RIP you climbers what a horrible way to die.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Simply agonising...day by day gone will be even more difficult to find the bodies

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Jump, agreed, but not 'one word' could you understand? Come off it. Anyway: Predictive text OFF and a session of out of window staring finished. Education should read erupted. Am sure with your intellect you could have 'made the jump' to 'Ah... I see what the cahp is trying to communicate'. The other post I rewrote, start to finish but missed out the disease part of lung disease. ie a disabling and potential fatal lung disease.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

you cant take take dogs!!! Into an ash environment the dogs would die from lungs internal bleeding just for breathing.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@hawkeye - do you live in tokyo? If so, you are living beside japan's tallest active volcano. Why climb a volcano? I don't know - why cross the road? You are more likely to get hit by a car than you are to die in a volcano erupting accident.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I've climbed Fuji-san twice a year for nearly twenty years. Why not? Intake several times as well. This was simply extremely bad timing. RIP fellow trekkers.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

but I have to ask the question "why would you go hiking on a volcano even if it was dormant"?

Because a dormant volcano is just a mountain and they are all over Japan.

8 ( +8 / -1 )

"why would you go hiking on a volcano even if it was dormant"?

I can answer that:

Nature is amazing. And it can be dangerous to life and limb. People like those on the volcano welcome the risk. We cannot Imagine a life of never having been on an active* volcano. Or never having swum along a coral reef at night. Or never having hiked up a rock glacier. Or never spotting a jaguar making a kill.

Please understand: such experiences of life and nature like these are not about the rush you get when jumping out of a plane, or driving 200 MPH. Its a different thing.

It is more meaningful than all the Cathedrals in Europe. In nature, neither Man nor God is glorified. And life is simply not worth living without it.

*The volcano was active, because it erupted within the last 10,000 years. That is the kind of time frame the earth works in.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

why would you go hiking on a volcano even if it was dormant?

I believe something like 300,000 people climb Fuji every year.

Why? Because it's not likely to blow while they are up there.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Now that it's rained on the ash, it's going to be harder to recover the bodies. Such a grim task.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It is more meaningful than all the Cathedrals in Europe. In nature, neither Man nor God is glorified. And life is simply not worth living without it.

JTDanMan -- your opinion. While nature's beauties and the experiences it can offer are no-doubt life-changing in many regards, appreciating the beauty of what man can create, whether it to be glorify God or not, can be equally as rewarding. Different strokes.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

You would think that after 3/11 there would be many more new teams of searchers and dogs scattered throughout the country and ready for deployment, in case of another disaster---such as this one.

How do you know there aren't? Or do you have an arbitrary number that should exist. If so, please share your thoughts on dispersion with the rest of us.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

On top of that, there are teams of searchers scattered throughout the country - the JSDF.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Rest in Peace fellow hikers.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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