Last month, a travel influencer couple tragically drowned in a river in Japan after the wife jumped in to try and save her husband.
Family members confirmed the deaths of Ito Tsubasa and his wife Sada Sada through a post on Ito’s Instagram page.
“My brother and his wife died in a drowning accident while hiking in a valley,” wrote Ito’s sister, Minami. “I was unsure about whether to post this on Instagram, but I received many messages of concern and condolences, so I decided to post it.”
Known on social media as “Agu”, Mr Ito, 41, a Japanese man, and his Chinese counterpart Ting Ting, 35, have become famous for sharing their mountain adventures online.
According to the South China Morning Post, the globetrotting mountaineers, who only just married in February, were climbing to the summit of a mountain in Japan’s Gifu prefecture on June 29 with an unidentified 48-year-old woman when tragedy occurred.
Ito reportedly fell into the river, whose water level had risen sharply due to a severe rainstorm the previous day.
Tay Tay is said to have thrown a 300-foot-long rope to her husband, who was swept away by the current before they could reach safety. In a desperate attempt to save her soul mate, Tay Tay jumped in after him but was soon swept away by the raging waters.
The friend then reported the incident to authorities, who found the couple’s bodies downstream a few hours later and rushed them to hospital, where they were pronounced dead by drowning.
Police say the lovers were both wearing life jackets when they died.
In Ito’s final Instagram post on June 28, the globetrotters can be seen descending 164 feet into the So Cave, an eroded sea cave in Obama Bay, Japan.
Friends and fans were heartbroken over the couple’s deaths.
“I always looked forward to your posts,” wrote one disappointed viewer. “I’m shocked by this sudden turn of events…May your soul rest in peace…”
“I always enjoyed seeing Tsubasa’s photos,” said another user. “I was always impressed by her challenging and amazing mountain climbing. I was looking forward to seeing more photos of beautiful mountains and rivers, so I’m very sad.”
A third person wrote, “I’ve gone mountain climbing with Tsubasa countless times. I’ve helped him and he’s helped me. I’ve learned a lot not only from his climbing skills but also from his mentality.”
“We both loved the mountains,” they added. “We were both never satisfied unless we were going full speed, so maybe it was just meant to happen someday. But it’s too early… give yourself a break.”
Minami also paid tribute to the couple in another Instagram post, writing, “My brother and [Teitei] We should climb the mountain of heaven together.”
