Photo/Illutration A scene showing the rescue of a woman on Mount Togakushiyama (Snapshot captured from the official YouTube channel of the Nagano prefectural police)

A police video captioned “Narrow escape from a slip and fall” has taken YouTube by storm.

The footage of a woman climber being rescued in late July was uploaded on the video-sharing platform in August by Nagano prefectural police.

This past summer saw a record number of mountain-related accidents across Japan.

Nagano police expressed hopes the scenes would drive home to people that mountain climbing can be dangerous as well as show the realities of a mountain rescue.

The footage was taken on 1,904-meter Mount Togakushiyama, a renowned peak associated with the legend of Heaven’s Rock Door, an episode from Japanese mythology.

Prefectural police said the operation took place on a narrow knife ridge, with precipitous cliffs falling on both sides, at an elevation of roughly 1,900 meters.

The woman was crawling on all fours when she was found at a treacherous spot called Ari no To-Watari, or ant tower crossing.

She was trying to turn backward along a downward slope when she lost her balance and slipped.

The woman narrowly escaped death because a tree about 2 meters down broke her fall. Many climbers have plunged hundreds of meters to their deaths from the spot, officials said.

The woman was in severe pain from neck and back injuries. Her legs were also numb.

MORE THAN 90,000 VIEWS

The footage shows members of the prefectural mountain rescue squad and a regional mountain distress prevention association applying a protective brace to the woman’s neck and treating other injuries. She was flown by helicopter from a cliff at the site to a hospital to receive emergency treatment.

Complete with the vivid sound of the helicopter buzzing in midair and the verbal exchanges between the woman and her rescuers, the video also gives tips on staying safe on a climb.

It was viewed 92,000 times in less than two months after it went online in August.

“One false step at the site could cost you your life,” said Shunro Kishimoto, who headed the rescue operation. “We hope that those who wish to climb the mountain will watch the video with their family members so they understand the realities.”

Numerous videos are available online that convey the allure of mountain climbing.

“But we wish to share accurate information by including negative aspects so people are aware of the dangers,” said Kishimoto, 47.

MORE ACCIDENTS IN NAGANO

The summer months of July and August this year saw a record 808 mountain-related accidents around Japan, of which 143 occurred in Nagano Prefecture, the seat of many celebrated peaks. The figure was larger than that of any other prefecture.

With the consent of the stranded climbers who were rescued, Nagano prefectural police have been releasing footage of rescue scenes for the past seven years.

A video showing the rescue of a climber on Mount Shiroumadake in the Northern Japan Alps who fell about 100 meters has been viewed more than one million times.

During the autumn climbing season, climbers need to take account that sunset occurs earlier than in summer, and also make provisions against the cold.

Apart from the YouTube channel, the prefectural police operate an X account in the name of their mountain rescue squad, where they share the latest tips on mountain climbing.

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