A 66-year-old hiker from Tacoma, Washington, USA, Kim Young-chun, was rescued by search and rescue teams on January 16 after being missing for two days on Mount Rainier in Washington. It is reported that during the two days he was trapped, Kim relied on burning banknotes to keep warm and imagined himself in a sauna, which apparently worked quite well—he was in good health when rescued and did not even require hospitalization.
After being rescued, the Korean-American, a Vietnam War veteran, said in an interview with a local TV station that during the two days he was stuck on the snowy mountain, he kept moving to stay warm and imagined taking a sauna with his wife. He also burned leaves, cash from his wallet, and socks to keep warm. Kim Young-chun, who has 10 years of hiking experience, was leading a hiking team up Mount Rainier on the 14th when he slipped down a slope near the Paradise area of the mountain, got separated from the group, and was trapped due to a snowstorm. Due to lack of experience, the other members of the hiking team were unable to describe the exact location where Kim had fallen. After two days of searching, three rescuers found Kim in a valley on the mountain. Due to bad weather, the rescue team couldn’t use a helicopter and had to slowly approach Kim with snow vehicles. After a difficult nine-hour rescue operation, they managed to bring him down from the mountain. Lee Taylor, spokesperson for the emergency rescue team, pointed out in an interview that Kim was an experienced hiker and was still alert, lucid, and emotionally stable when found by rescuers.
While climbing Mount Rainier, Kim only had supplies enough for one day and no overnight gear. At the time, temperatures on Mount Rainier were as low as minus 9 degrees Celsius, and in some mountainous areas over the weekend, snowfall exceeded 8 feet, with snow accumulation reaching up to 30 feet. Regarding his escape, Kim and his family expressed gratitude to the rescuers. Kim said, "The rescuers are wonderful people. I love them." His son, Malcolm Ahn, stated, "The situation was extremely dire, but what could have ended in tragedy became yet another perfect example of Americans coming together to save someone in need."
Mount Rainier is located in western Washington State, a peak of the Cascade Range in the United States, and one of the most majestic mountain ranges in the world, with an elevation of 4,391 meters. It is also an active volcano covered with more than 91 square kilometers of snow and ice, with its summit perpetually capped in snow and ice, and 27 glaciers radiating outward.