Tragedy on the Slopes: Australian Snowboarder Dies After Backpack Snags on Japanese Ski Lift
A 22-year-old Australian snowboarder has died days after a tragic accident at a ski resort in Japan’s Nagano prefecture, where her backpack became caught in a moving chairlift.
Brooke Day, from Queensland, was riding the Tsuga number two pair lift at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari on Friday morning when an unfastened buckle on her backpack hooked onto the chair. With the bag still strapped to her chest, she was unable to free herself and was dragged along as the lift continued.
Resort staff activated an emergency stop, and Day received immediate first aid before being transported to a nearby hospital. She remained in critical condition until Sunday, when she was pronounced dead. Officials confirmed she suffered cardiac arrest during the ordeal.
In a statement, resort CEO Tsuneo Kubo expressed his "deepest condolences" and confirmed that an investigation, in cooperation with the Tsugaike Gondola Lift Company, is underway. "We are reviewing all safety protocols and will strengthen measures to prevent such a tragedy from recurring," Kubo said.
Day had been living and working in Japan for about a year, employed as a receptionist at a physiotherapy clinic in Hakuba, a short distance from the resort. Tributes have poured in from her home country, including from her former rugby club, the Nambour Toads, which remembered her as a "cherished teammate, friend, and daughter."
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular support to her family.
This incident casts a renewed spotlight on ski lift safety in Japan, coming just weeks after a five-year-old boy died at a resort in northern Japan when his arm was trapped in a "magic carpet" surface lift. While such fatalities are rare, they prompt urgent questions about equipment maintenance, passenger awareness, and the design of safety features.
User Reactions:
David Chen, Ski Instructor (Hakuba): "This is a devastating reminder that we can never be complacent. Everyone needs to double-check loose straps and equipment before getting on a lift. My heart goes out to her family."
Sarah Miller, Travel Blogger: "I've skied at Tsugaike many times. It's a family-friendly place. This is just a horrific, freak accident that could make anyone think twice. It underscores the need for constant vigilance, even on routine rides."
Marcus Thorne, Safety Advocate: "'Freak accident' is a term that lets resorts off the hook. How many near-misses have there been? Are buckle designs and guardrails adequately preventing snagging? This isn't the first lift-related death recently—it's a pattern of negligence. The industry's 'investigations' are just PR until we see enforceable international safety standards."
Akari Tanaka, Local Tourism Officer (Nagano): "We are all deeply saddened. Our community relies on a reputation for safe, enjoyable winter sports. We are fully cooperating with the investigation to understand exactly what happened and ensure our mountains remain a place of joy, not tragedy."