Woman Snowboarder, 22, Dies After Ski Lift Attaches to Her Backpack and Drags Her into the Air

A 22-year-old Australian snowboarder has died after a tragic ski lift accident at a resort in Japan.

At around 9 a.m. local time on Friday, Jan. 30, tourist Brooke Day boarded a ski lift at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort in central Japan when she became caught in the lift system, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and 7News Australia.

Officials said Day’s backpack became trapped, pulling her upward as the lift moved. She suffered cardiac arrest and was taken to a hospital, where she later died, the outlets reported.

Tsugaike Gondola Lift Co. told 7News Australia that the incident occurred when a “buckle at the end of an unfastened waist belt attached to a backpack carried by a customer (and) became caught in the lift carriage.”

“Since the chest strap was fastened, the backpack remained attached to the body,” the company said, adding that staff hit the stop button to halt the lift and that rescue efforts began immediately before Day was transported by ambulance.

Day was reportedly traveling in Japan with friends at the time of the incident.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade offered condolences to her family after her death. “We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,” a spokesperson said, per CNN.

Resort chief executive Tsuneo Kubo told ABC that the company is cooperating with local police as they investigate what happened.

“We will continue to cooperate fully with the police and relevant authorities in their investigations, while simultaneously working to establish a safer operational framework,” Kubo said in a statement.

He added that the lift is expected to resume operations only after the investigation is completed and additional safety measures are put in place, according to ABC.