Australian skier dies after going missing at Japanese resort
An Australian man died while skiing on mountain slopes near a Japanese resort on Tuesday, days after a woman died in a ski lift accident on the Sunshine Coast in Nagano prefecture.
Japanese media reported that the man, believed to be in his 20s, went missing on Tuesday afternoon (local time) while skiing with a group between two resorts in Niseko, Hokkaido.
The man’s disappearance triggered the deployment of emergency services, who discovered the Australian had been given CPR by another group of skiers. The person who was taken to the hospital was declared dead.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing assistance to the young man’s family and sent its “deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time.”
According to Japanese media, the man was working at an accommodation facility in Hokkaido prefecture. The man’s death is being investigated by local police, who reported no visible injuries when discovered.
This comes after veteran snowboarder Brooke Day died after her avalanche rescue bag got stuck on a chair lift. The incident at Tsugaike Mountain Resort occurred on Friday morning, and the 22-year-old died in hospital early Sunday.
Day’s family said Tuesday that Brooke had recently completed a three-day avalanche course and used that knowledge to save four people from life-threatening situations. Rescue backpacks have a rapidly expanding air cushion designed to keep people close to the snow surface in the event of an avalanche.
Day’s death is being investigated by local police.
Tsuneo Kubo, general manager of Tsugaike Mountain Resort, said the organization “will do our best to respond to the needs of our deceased customers and their families” and pledged to review safety measures to prevent another tragedy.
The Australian man’s death comes less than a month after the death of another foreign national who was found unconscious on the slopes in Niseko.
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Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously ran The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s national news live blog.Connect via email.
