A 22-year-old Australian snowboarder has died after a ski lift accident at a Japanese resort, when her backpack became caught and left her suspended mid-air.
The incident occurred on Friday at the Tsugaike ski resort in Otari, near Nagano. Japanese media identified the woman as Ella Day Brooke, though Australian reports later clarified her name as Brooke Day.
According to the resort, an unfastened waist belt buckle on her backpack hooked onto the lift chair, while her chest strap remained securely fastened. This caused her to be dragged along the snow and then suspended in the air. A lift attendant stopped the lift by pressing an emergency button, and the snowboarder was rushed to hospital after suffering what appeared to be a cardiac arrest.
Tsugaike Mountain resort and Tsugaike Gondola Lift Co jointly apologised for the accident and said an investigation would be launched. The company's chief executive expressed deep condolences to the woman's family and promised to provide every possible assistance.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the family, offering its deepest condolences at this difficult time.
