Khaberni - Smartwatch data utilizing GPS revealed new and horrifying details about the last moments of a 26-year-old Japanese hiker who was killed by a brown bear during a hike on Mount Rausu in Hokkaido, northern Japan.
According to Japanese media, the young man, named Sota Kisuki, was hiking with a friend on August 14th when he was suddenly attacked and dragged away from the designated trail into a dense forest by a brown bear. His friend managed to escape and alert the authorities, leading to a widespread search operation the following day.
Rescue teams initially found a piece of clothing believed to belong to the victim, along with his wallet, before later finding him and transporting him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
However, the crucial element in uncovering what happened was the smartwatch he was wearing. The GPS data showed that around 11 AM, the watch's movement suddenly diverged from the hiking trail, then headed towards a slope inside the forest. The watch also recorded violent shakes, followed by repetitive circular movements in a bushy area, suggesting a fierce struggle took place.
The data indicated that the young man's heart stopped between 100 and 130 meters away from the trail, which is believed to be the location of his death. The watch remained in the same place throughout the night before moving again the next morning for several hundred meters, leading investigators to believe that the bear returned to drag the body to a different location.
Later, search teams found a bear with her cubs dragging the body, resulting in all three bears being killed on the site for safety reasons. Other remains were also found buried near the site. The young man's body was moved to a police center, where his parents identified him, being advised to only view his face due to the severity of the injuries.
Following the incident, the authorities closed the hiking trail on Mount Rausu, noting that this incident is the first fatal bear attack recorded in the Shiretoko mountain range in over 60 years.
This incident occurs amidst a concerning increase in bear attacks in Japan, with at least 13 people killed and more than 100 others injured since April, according to a report by the Japanese Ministry of Environment, raising growing concerns about hiker safety and wildlife management.
