You know what they say: fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… well, you’re probably Xia Zhihao. He’s the Chinese student who probably has Mount Fuji’s rescue team on speed dial by now. Is becoming an international headline embarrassing? Sure. But there’s a lesson here too: don’t waste the time of emergency personnel if you don’t need to.

Mount Fuji rescue #1: lost crampons, altitude sickness, and one helicopter ride

It all started on April 22. Xia, a 27-year-old Chinese university student living in Japan, decided to tackle Mount Fuji—despite the trails being closed for the off-season.

Spoiler: it didn’t go great. According to police, Xia “was unable to descend the trail after he lost his crampons.” The spikes strapped to his boots vanished somewhere on the snowy slopes. On top of that, he developed altitude sickness at about 9,800 feet up.

Having hiked at those altitudes, I can tell you altitude sickness is a doozy. It’s often best to acclimate at base camp for several days before trying to exert yourself. But Xia never asked my advice.

He made an emergency call and got airlifted off Mount Fuji like a rockstar. The Shizuoka police gave him a pretty simple message: he was lucky to even get a rescue. Officials warn hikers to not climb during off-season because “the weather could suddenly change, making it hard for rescuers to respond.”

Most of us would call it a day after one helicopter rescue. Xia? He had unfinished business.

Mount Fuji rescue #2: not worth the helicopter fuel

Just four days later, Xia climbed Mount Fuji again. This time, he wasn’t chasing glory—he was chasing his phone.

Brut America summed it up: Xia “was found ill from altitude sickness by a hiker.” Another climber spotted him slumped on the trail at nearly 10,000 feet, sick all over again. Cue the second rescue. This time, officials weren’t wasting chopper fuel on him. Xia got hauled down on a stretcher from near the 8th Station, the Daily Mail reported.

That’s still a major waste of everyone’s time. A stretcher rescue is a full day of work for half a dozen emergency personnel who could be helping other people. People who didn’t knowingly put themselves in harm’s way.

It’s unclear whether Xia ever found his phone. What’s clear? He found the patience of the Japanese authorities—and then lost it again. Many ski areas in the U.S. bill skiers who chose to leave the marked trails and needed a rescue. I’d suggest Mount Fuji officials consider the same policy. Especially if Xia ever steps foot on the mountain again.

The Mount Fuji trails are closed off season for a reason. The environment ministry reminds folks that climbing outside July to September means no trail signs, no medical stations, and no quick rescues. You’re basically on your own—and it gets a lot colder than you think.

Two rescues, a bruised ego, and a very unimpressed Japanese police department later… Xia’s adventure proves one thing: phones are replaceable. And they’re cheaper than helicopter rides.