A young Sunshine Coast woman has died following a tragic ski lift accident at a Japanese resort, with her family travelling to be by her side during her final moments.
Ella Day Brooke, 22, was critically injured on Friday morning at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in the Hakuba Valley when her backpack became entangled in a chairlift as she attempted to disembark.
According to statements from Nagano Omachi Police and resort operator Tsugaike Gondola Lift Company, the waist buckle of Ms Brooke’s backpack became caught on the lift chair around 9:15am. Because the chest strap of her backpack remained fastened, the pack could not detach from her body, causing her to be dragged along the snow before being suspended in mid-air as the lift continued moving.
A lift attendant immediately pressed the emergency stop button and first aid was administered at the scene. Ms Brooke went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital by ambulance, but tragically died on Sunday morning with her parents, Deanne and Warren Day, at her side.
In a statement released through Australian media, the family confirmed they were with their daughter when she passed peacefully. They expressed gratitude to the friends who stayed with Ms Brooke until they arrived in Japan, as well as to staff at Omachi General Hospital.
The family described Ms Brooke as an experienced and advanced snowboarder who had been participating in winter sports since she was 11 years old and was in her fourth extended snow season in Japan. She had recently completed a three-day avalanche safety course and had used that training to help rescue four people in dangerous situations in the weeks prior to the accident.
Tragically, it was an avalanche rescue backpack that Ms Brooke was wearing for safety that became caught in the lift mechanism.
Tsugaike Gondola Lift Company CEO Tsuneo Kubo released a formal statement expressing the company’s deepest condolences to the bereaved family and confirmed that operations of the Tsuga No. 2 Pair Lift have been suspended indefinitely while investigations continue.
The resort, which features 18 lifts servicing approximately 18 kilometres of trails, is a popular destination for international skiers and snowboarders during the northern hemisphere winter.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance to Ms Brooke’s family and extended deepest condolences.
The incident has cast a shadow over what has become peak season for Australian snow sports enthusiasts in Japan. According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, more than one million Australians and New Zealanders visited Japan in 2025, representing a 15 per cent increase on the previous year, with many drawn by the country’s renowned powder snow, favourable exchange rates and cultural appeal.
Ms Brooke’s death is the latest in a series of incidents involving Australian tourists at Japanese ski resorts this season. Earlier in January, a 17-year-old Australian died while skiing in Niseko, and another Australian man in his 20s died during a ski trip in Hokkaido just days after Ms Brooke’s accident.
While ski-related fatalities in Japan remain statistically rare, with research indicating an average of 10 to 14 deaths annually across the country’s resorts, the recent incidents have prompted renewed calls for visitors to familiarise themselves with safety protocols and remain within designated resort boundaries.
Published 2-February-2026
