Bodies of 4 elderly climbers recovered from Japan's Mount Asahi

Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The bodies of four Japanese elderly climbers were recovered Saturday from Mount Asahi north of Tokyo after the group got stuck on a hiking trail in freezing conditions.

Officials suggested the victims likely fell down amid strong winds and froze to death.

The two men and two women in the group, all in their 60s and 70s, were found on the mountain in Tochigi Prefecture, the steepest peak in the region.

The dead were identified as Seiji Noguchi, 69, Yoshiko Takeishi, 72, and Toshiko Takatsudo, 79, all from Tochigi, as well as Eiji Kimura, a 65-year-old doctor from Osaka.

Police were first alerted to the situation after another hiker on the trail made a distress call Friday afternoon to report a person with hypothermia who could no longer move.

Another emergency call reported several hikers had fallen and were not moving, while another among them was helped up from the ground.

Both callers reportedly made it back down the mountain safely, while heavy winds prevented rescue teams from reaching the group of seniors until the next morning, but by then it was too late.

Conditions on the mountain were about 43 degrees Fahrenheit with wind gusts as high as 44 mph.

Police in the city of Nasushiobara said an investigation was underway.

A worker at a nearby company that provides ropes to climbers said winds were "so strong that one could not have stood still" on the mountain.

The dead were recovered in three different locations leading to the peak of the mountain, officials said.

Mount Asahi rises more than 6,000 feet above sea level, and features rugged terrain that makes it difficult to climb in some spots.

Authorities in the region have installed chains into the natural landscape to help prevent slips and falls.