AKIOTA, Hiroshima -- Seven snowboarders who went missing at a ski field here on Sunday were found alive on Tuesday morning, rescue officials said.

Two of the seven men could walk by themselves, while five others were weakened and had to be transported to a hospital in Hiroshima by helicopter.

The group of seven snowboarders went missing at the Osorakan ski field in Akiota, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Sunday.

At around 8 a.m. Tuesday, about 600 rescuers resumed a search for them around Mount Osorakan, which lies on the border of Hiroshima and Shimane prefectures.

According to the search center, rescuers reported the seven men had been found safe at around 9:40 a.m. A group of 24 rescuers had climbed up the forest road from Shimane Prefecture where they met two men who said they climbed down the mountain by themselves and that five others were taking temporary shelter about 1 kilometer behind them.

Rescuers proceeded along the forest road and found the five remaining members together. Local firefighters had suggested searching the area as in the past a lost climber strayed into the Shimane Prefecture side of Mount Osorakan.

Akihiko Sugiyama, 36, from Hiroshima's Nishi-ku, who was among the seven snowboarders, said, "We found a deserted mountain hut and rested inside it while we made a fire. We shared a dietary supplement on the first night and managed to survive on melted snow. At around 7 a.m. today, we made a fire and sent a smoke signal. We were rescued while we descended the mountain."

Two of the seven men were temporary workers at the ski ground, while five others were regulars. They were all acquainted with one another. As their snowboarding was supposed to be a one-day trip, they were all lightly dressed. However, the five regular visitors had brought a portable stove burner, equipment for temporary refuge and some food.

The seven men had climbed up near the summit of Mount Osorakan at around 1 p.m. Sunday. At around 3:30 p.m., one of them answered a call from his wife on his mobile phone, saying, "We intended to snowboard down an off-piste zone, but we ended up walking along the mountain ridge as there was less snow than expected." That was their last call before they lost contact.

Upon hearing that they were found safe, Tatsuko Nakamura, mother of Nobuyuki Nakamura, 30, who was one of the missing snowboarders, was overjoyed.

"I appreciate everyone's (rescue) efforts. I'm so relieved. I prayed for their safety around-the-clock," she said.

According to the Hiroshima local meteorological observatory, the area had been hit by intermittent snowfall from Sunday afternoon to Monday.

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