THE SOS SIGN INCIDENT

After a year like 2020, the idea of taking a peaceful hike and escaping the stresses of daily life can be very appealing. However, after researching today's topic, I have mixed feelings. Many hikers go missing under mysterious and often bizarre circumstances—not to discourage anyone from enjoying nature.


I'm sure many of you know countless hikers go missing in a wide variety of bizarre and mysterious circumstances not to deter you from taking that hike as we all know mother nature can be unforgiving,

but it’s a reminder of how unforgiving it can be. Today’s story highlights just how little we know about what truly happens when people venture far from civilization.


On July 24, 1989, two men went missing from Daisetsuzan National Park in Japan. A search operation began, focusing on the area around Mount Asahidake. As the day had come to a close out of the corner of their eye the rescue crew had noticed something down below,the rescue crew spotted an SOS signal from their helicopter. The sign, made from precisely cut birch trees, measured 18 meters long and 5 meters tall. It was found about four kilometers south of the summit of Mount Asahidake, a place rarely visited by hikers. Recognizing it as a call for help, the local police landed and began their investigation. Surprisingly, the missing hikers emerged from the woods shortly after, unaware of the SOS sign that had facilitated their rescue. They were puzzled because they hadn’t made the sign, raising the question—who did?


The next day, police conducted a second search and discovered human bones about 10 to 30 meters from the SOS sign. The bones showed signs of animal gnawing and fractures, suggesting the person had suffered significant injury. Additionally, a backpack was found about 165 feet north of the sign, buried under tree roots. It contained three cassette tapes, a Sony tape recorder, toiletries, and other supplies. The bones were sent to Ashikawa Medical University, which identified them as belonging to a woman with blood type O. This was puzzling, as the items in the backpack did not seem to belong to a woman.


Among the tapes, two contained anime soundtracks, and one had a disturbing message recorded over it. A man's voice in a foreign language called for help, saying, "I can't move. I'm on the cliff. SOS, help me." This added confusion, as the recording described a cliffside, yet the items were found in a valley. An ID card in the backpack belonged to Kenji Iwamura, a hiker who had gone missing five years earlier. Information on Iwamura is scarce; he was an office worker who liked anime and was last seen staying at a hostel. His family confirmed the backpack was his but were unsure if the voice on the recording was.


Investigators faced a complex puzzle: human bones, a missing hiker’s backpack, a mysterious recording, and an SOS sign made from cut trees with no ax found nearby. After some time, only a few questions could be answered. A local newspaper reported that the SOS sign was visible in an aerial photo taken on September 20, 1987, by the Forestry Agency and the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. This meant the sign had been there for some time, matching the timeline of Iwamura's disappearance.


Initially, the bones were misidentified as belonging to a woman. Upon reassessment, they were correctly identified as male with blood type A, leading investigators to conclude they were Iwamura's remains.

I think the biggest gap in the story is the missing tool used to cut down the trees, giving how police rush to close this case in a week definitely seems like some details are missing.

 With no signs of foul play, the case was closed, though many questions remain unanswered.