Industry News
[Updated February 3]
A 22-year-old Australian snowboarder has died following a chairlift accident on Friday, January 30 at Tsugaike Mountain in Japan.
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The incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. on Friday morning when the woman disembarked the Tsuga No. 2 Pair Lift near the summit of the resort in Otari Village in the Nagano Prefecture. According to a statement by the resort’s CEO, Tsuneo Kubo, a strap got caught as she reached the top station. She was dragged around the top station by the lift and was left hanging in midair at which point lift attendants hit the emergency stop. Resort staff alerted emergency service,s but according to the local police, the woman—identified as Brooke Day—was in cardiac arrest. She was transported to hospital but died on Sunday, surrounded by her family.
In a formal statement released by Tsugaike Gondola Lift Co., President and CEO Tsuneo Kubo outlined the circumstances of the accident following an on-site investigation conducted by Omachi Police Station, including a review of surveillance camera footage. The company said the buckle of the waist belt attached to the backpack Brooke Day was wearing had not been fastened and became caught on the lift carrier as she attempted to exit. Although the waist belt was unsecured, the backpack’s chest strap remained fastened, preventing the pack from coming off. As a result, she was dragged after disembarking and subsequently suspended as the chairlift continued moving.
An attendant pressed the emergency stop button shortly after the incident, and first aid was administered before emergency responders arrived. Another passenger was on the chairlift at the time but was not injured. “The circumstances surrounding the lift accident, our response, and the future of the lift are currently under investigation,” Kubo said in the statement. He added that the company will continue to cooperate fully with police and related organizations and will implement additional safety measures before resuming operations on the lift.
Tsugaike Mountain Resort, part of the Hakuba Valley ski area, is a popular destination for international skiers and snowboarders, particularly during peak winter months. The resort boasts 18 lifts, including seven pair lifts, which service the 18 kilometers (11 miles) of trails. The Tsuga 2 Pair Lift is a fixed-grip chairlift. Operations of the double chair have been suspended indefinitely while investigations and safety reviews are ongoing. Chairlift accidents are rare in Japan, where ski resorts are generally regarded as having strong safety records.
Day’s family shared with Australian news, that the backpack in question was an avalanche airbag and that Day was known to be a cautious person. It had been her fourth season working in Japan as a physio for the Northern Hemisphere winter—the Australian summer. Her family rushed to her side and were able to say their farewells before she passed peacefully on Sunday.
Having just spent four days (through mid January 2026) at a nearby Hakuba resort, I was appalled at the lack of attention paid to lift operations by the staff. On one occasion I had to alert the (top) lift attendant that the person on the chair ahead of me had completely lost their skis (at the disembark point) and then fallen, making my exit from the lift almost impossible. On too many other occasions the single lift attendant at the top was well away from the controls (shovelling snow at the exit), meaning any “accident” would have a delayed response, and possibly a tragic outcome.
This sort of staff “behaviour” was at first shocking but then became frighteningly “normal”. I can’t explain it, other than perhaps the resort/s appear to be minimising costs by short-staffing.
I have never seen anything like this on Australian or New Zealand ski fields where, presumably, there are dire legal consequences for such commercial tardiness!