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Mount Furano in Hokkaido, Japan, is pictured in June 2020.

Mount Furano in Hokkaido, Japan, is pictured in June 2020. (Japan Environment Ministry)

The Marine Corps on Tuesday identified Cpl. Jason P. Cockrell as the Marine who died over the weekend on a mountain hike in northern Japan and Cpl. Andre Dabrowski as his hiking partner who survived.

Both men — automotive maintenance technicians with the 9th Engineer Support Battalion on Okinawa — were on an off-duty hike of Mount Furano on Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands, when they became lost in fog, according to the service.

Cockrell, 21, of New Mexico, was found on Saturday, Capt. Brett Vannier, spokesman for 3rd Marine Logistics Group, said by email Tuesday.

Cockrell was found lying on a trail at an elevation of about 4,600 feet elevation and taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital, where he later died, Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting reported Saturday, citing police.

Dabrowski called police around 4 p.m. Friday after the pair were separated, according to a separate report Saturday from Hokkaido Broadcasting. He was found uninjured about six hours later on a mountain road at approximately 4,300 feet elevation.

Dabrowski, of Maryland, is undergoing medical evaluation, Vannier said.

Vannier said an investigation underway. “However, it is believed that deteriorating weather conditions led to them going missing,” he added.

The Marines were prepared for winter mountain hiking but encountered poor visibility, according to the Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting report.

Cockrell was stationed at Camp Hansen, but Vannier declined to provide further information on Dabrowski, citing privacy concerns.

Cockrell enlisted in the Marines in August 2022 and was promoted to corporal two years later. His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Korea Defense Service Medal.

Brian McElhiney is a reporter for Stars and Stripes based in Okinawa, Japan. He has worked as a music reporter and editor for publications in New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Oregon. One of his earliest journalistic inspirations came from reading Stars and Stripes as a kid growing up in Okinawa.

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