22-Year-Old Australian Snowboarder Dies After Chairlift Accident at Tsugaike Mountain, Japan - SnowBrains

"Industry NewsThe 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."

"The company said the buckle of the waist belt attached to the backpack Brooke 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."

The incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. when a woman disembarked the Tsuga No. 2 Pair Lift near the summit in Otari Village, Nagano Prefecture. A buckle on the waist belt of her backpack was not fastened and became caught on the lift carrier as she attempted to exit. The backpack's chest strap remained fastened, preventing the pack from coming off and causing her to be dragged and suspended while the chairlift continued moving. Lift attendants hit the emergency stop and administered first aid before emergency responders arrived. The woman, identified as Ella Day Brooke, was transported to hospital and later died. Police and resort investigators reviewed surveillance footage and the resort plans to cooperate with authorities and implement additional safety measures before resuming lift operations.

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