Australian Mum And Her Three Sons Rescued From -10°C Snowy Mountain in Japan

An Australian mother and her three sons have been rescued after sending a Facebook message to their family saying they were lost in a snowy mountain in Japan.

The mother, in her 50’s, and her sons, believed to be in their 20’s, have been found at the top of the mountain at Nozawa Onsen, near Japan’s main island just after 8.15am local time on Tuesday.

Local police said the search began after the family did not return from the mountain by 6pm on Monday.

The family were staying at Nozawa Onsen ski resort, a hot spring and ski resort village near Nagano before going up the mountain.

One of the missing skiers contacted a family member on Facebook to say they were stranded before rescuers scoured the snowfields. It was revealed that the family dug a snow cave to survive after spending 12 hours lost in the Japanese wilderness.

The resort said they had spoken to the head of Nozawa Ski Patrol and confirmed the lost family had been found.

Japanese TV broadcast pictures of the mother and her sons have emerged as they were being wrapped up in warm blankets by rescuers and being led to safety through the snow.

Temperatures on the mountain dropped to -10°C overnight, which forced rescuers to postpone the search but they resumed the search on Tuesday morning (local time). The resort has also seen 1.5 metres of snowfall.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said that Australian officials already contacted local authorities in Japan. “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is in contact with local authorities working to locate an Australian woman and her family reported as missing in Japan,” it said.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk