An eight-year-old Australian girl has died after a snowmobile accident during a family holiday at a Japanese ski resort. Chloe Jeffries, from the Gold Coast in Queensland, was riding in the Hakuba Valley, in the northwest of Nagano prefecture, on Saturday when the vehicle overturned, causing fatal injuries.
Despite first aid at the scene and being airlifted to hospital by helicopter, she could not be revived, according to tour operator Hakuba Lion Adventure. The company said the tour involved nine snowmobiles, including three guides, and the accident happened near an uphill curve along a forest road when the machine rode up an embankment and overturned, trapping the passenger underneath.
Hakuba Lion Adventure has suspended all snowmobile and snowshoe tours until further notice while it reviews its safety procedures. The firm said it was working with police and other authorities to investigate the death and offered 'sincere and deep apologies' for the distress caused.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Japan, and offered condolences. The Hakuba Valley, at the base of the northern Japanese Alps, hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Tributes were paid by the South Coast Netball Association, which described Chloe as a 'very special part' of its netball family, known for her 'cheeky, infectious smile' and as a devoted supporter of her older sister Hallee. Her death is the fourth involving an Australian in Japan's snowfields this year, following those of Michael Hurst, Brooke Day and Ryan Pribadi.
