A Japanese Tourist Has Died While Attempting To Climb Uluru

An elderly Japanese tourist has collapsed and died while attempting to climb Uluru, according to reports.

Yulara Police in the Northern Territory were called to the scene yesterday afternoon after the 76-year-old Japanese national collapsed approximately halfway up the sacred site. Emergency medical personnel attempted to perform CPR on the man, but he could not be revived.

Duty Superintendent Shaun Gill confirmed the incident, which required the use of a rescue helicopter to transport the patient to hospital.

Rangers and emergency services got there first and attempted to perform CPR on this person but unfortunately they couldn’t be revived. He was eventually conveyed via helicopter to the medical centre in Yulara where he was formally pronounced deceased.

There have been 37 recorded deaths on Uluru since records began being kept, with the last occurring in 2010.

Currently, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park officials have signs in place, imploring people to consider not climbing the sacred site out of respect. These signs have been in place since 1992, but have proven to only be a mildly effective deterrent.

Climbing Uluru as a practice is set to be formally banned for everyone from October 2019 onwards, thanks to a unanimous decision by the parks board last year. The ban is set to begin on October 26th next year, to coincide with the 34th anniversary of Uluru’s handback to traditional land owners.

Officials do not believe anything suspicious was at play in this latest death on the site.

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