An Australian man has died while skiing the backcountry slopes near a Japanese resort on Tuesday, days after a Sunshine Coast woman was killed in a ski lift accident in the Nagano prefecture.
Japanese media report 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 found the Australian being administered CPR by another group of skiers. He was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing assistance to the young man’s family, sending its “deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time”.
The man worked at a lodging facility in the Hokkaido prefecture, according to Japanese media. His death is being investigated by local police, who reported no visible injuries to the man when he was discovered.
It follows the death of experienced snowboarder Brooke Day when her avalanche rescue backpack became caught on a ski lift. The incident at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort occurred on Friday morning, and the 22-year-old died in hospital early on Sunday.
Day’s family, in a statement released on Tuesday, said Brooke had recently completed a three-day avalanche course, and had used that knowledge to help rescue four people from life-threatening situations. The rescue backpacks feature a rapidly expanding airbag designed to keep people near the snow’s surface in an avalanche.
Day’s death is being investigated by local police.
Tsugaike Mountain Resort chief executive Tsuneo Kubo has committed to reviewing safety measures to prevent another tragedy, saying the organisation would “do our utmost to respond to the needs of our deceased customers and their families”.
The death of the Australian man comes less than a month after another foreign national died after he 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 helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.