Tourist Dies Climbing Uluru in Australia

A 76-year-old Japanese tourist collapsed and was later pronounced dead while climbing Uluru—formerly known as Ayers Rock.

The man, whose name has yet to be released, was airlifted to a nearby medical facility and no foul play is suspected.

First reported by ABC News Australia, the incident was the site’s first recorded death since 2010 but the 37th since authorities started tracking the site in the 1950s. The Northern Territory site is a sacred place for Australia’s indigeonous tribes, and was recently transfered back to traditional ownership after years as a national park.

Uluru is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

“Please, say sorry to the Japanese people there, they’ve lost one of their own, whenever visitors lose their lives around Uluru and around central Australia we are very sorry about that,” traditional owner Vincent Forrester said, in a statement to ABC News.

“But we’ve got to look at the access to these places, Uluru is a sacred place. We put signs at the base of Uluru…for safety’s sake.

Last year, the local ownership unanimously voted to ban climbs, starting in October, 2019.

Still, even without the climb, tourism to Uluru is strongly encouraged, and various other cultural and educational opportunities are available.