Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies while climbing Mount Fuji; 99-year-old woman rescued

A Swiss man died after losing consciousness hiking up Mount Fuji, authorities said on Friday, marking the second fatality in one week on the scenic but potentially dangerous mountain.

Rescuers separately managed to save a 99-year-old woman, however, after she was injured on the mountain and sheltered in a hut overnight.

Japan’s highest mountain was once a peaceful pilgrimage site but has become a popular target for hikers — some of whom lack the stamina required for the five-to-10 hour trek up and down.

Japan has tightened access rules on the 12,388-foot volcano in response to heavy tourism, crowding and a series of safety incidents involving poorly equipped climbers, some of them foreign tourists. Some hikers trample and even build campfires on the fragile alpine landscape, scattering drink bottles, plastic bags and candy wrappers. Visitors ignore warnings about subzero temperatures and show up in shorts and sandals, leaving them to fall ill and even try to summon taxis for rescue.

Police told AFP that the 58-year-old Swiss man, who had fallen unconscious during the hike, was resuscitated and taken to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.

The Swiss assisted dying company EXIT identified the man as managing director Bernhard Sutter, saying in a statement that he died after a medical emergency while on a family vacation in Japan.

“Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones in these difficult hours. We express our deepest condolences to you,” EXIT said in a statement, according to the Japan Times.

It was the second fatality since the Fuji hiking season began on July 1 after a 65-year-old Japanese man died on July 17, reportedly after falling and hitting his head.

Police also said that Tome Sagawa, 99, was rescued the same day trying to scale the mountain after the Japanese woman injured herself the previous day and spent the night in a mountain hut.

“Police are urging hikers to come down from the mountain without pushing themselves if they feel concerned about the weather or their physical condition, and to plan hikes that are within their capabilities, taking into account their climbing experience and physical fitness,” a police spokesman said.

A few days before that, a 54-year-old Japanese man had to be rescued twice in as many days attempting the walk, reports said.

The same thing happened to a Chinese man climbing outside the official season — as several thousand do every year — in 2025 after he returned to look for his phone and other belongings.

In 2024, Yamanashi Prefecture, which manages the popular Yoshida Trail, introduced a daily cap of 4,000 climbers and a 2,000-yen ($12.20) climbing fee which was doubled in 2025.

The neighboring Shizuoka region also introduced a charge of 4,000 yen for its three trails.

A little over 200,000 people still climbed the mountain last year, down from just over 220,000 in 2023.

There were no deaths in 2025 but there were nine deaths on the mountain in the 2024 season. In June 2024, four bodies were recovered on Mount Fuji after one of the missing climbers sent photos from the summit to his family.