Australian Ski Lift Accident in Japan: Brooke Day Dies After Backpack Snags Chair at Tsugaike Mountain Resort

A 22-year-old Australian woman, Brooke Day, has died after a chairlift accident at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Japan, a popular destination in Nagano Prefecture’s northern Alps. Authorities say Day was critically injured when her backpack became entangled as she attempted to disembark, leaving her dragged and then suspended mid-air before she was rescued and taken to hospital.

The incident has shaken Australia’s ski and snowboard community and put fresh attention on a rarely discussed risk at resorts worldwide: loose straps, buckles, and partially fastened backpacks interacting with moving lift infrastructure during the most vulnerable moment of any ride, the unload.

What happened at Tsugaike Mountain Resort

Officials say the accident occurred on Friday, January 30, 2026 local time at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari, Nagano Prefecture. The timing was reported around mid-morning in Japan, which corresponds to Thursday evening, January 29, 2026, ET.

Based on statements from investigators and the lift operator, the sequence appears to have unfolded like this:

• Day approached the unloading area and began to stand to exit the chair

• A buckle or strap on her backpack became caught on the chair or adjacent lift hardware

• The chair continued moving, preventing a clean exit

• She was dragged along the snow and then left suspended until staff stopped the lift and carried out a rescue

• She suffered a medical emergency and was transported to hospital, where she later died. Authorities confirmed her death over the weekend

Japanese police are investigating the incident and reviewing the lift’s operation and safety procedures, including the precise point where the backpack snag occurred and whether there were any mechanical or procedural factors that contributed.

Who was Brooke Day

Brooke Day was an Australian visitor from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Her death has prompted consular support for her family and a wave of grief and tributes online from friends and fellow snowboarders who described her as energetic, adventurous, and deeply loved.

For many Australians, Japan is the most accessible major ski destination, and Nagano resorts are especially popular during northern winter. That familiarity is one reason this story has spread so quickly at home: it feels close to a trip thousands of people make every year.

Why chairlift unload accidents are uniquely dangerous

Chairlifts are designed with layers of safety, but the unload area is a friction point where human movement meets a continuous mechanical system. Unlike mid-ride incidents, unload problems unfold fast and require near-instant coordination between the rider, staff, and emergency stop procedures.

Backpacks are a known complication in this zone. Even a single unsecured strap can act like a hook. If a waist belt is unfastened but still hanging, or a chest strap remains clipped while something else catches, it can create an unintended tether to the chair. In a worst-case scenario, that tether can pull a rider off balance, drag them, or suspend them.

This does not automatically mean a resort or operator is at fault. But it does explain why investigators focus so intensely on the small details: what exactly caught, how the lift was monitored, how quickly it was stopped, and what the rescue process looked like.

Behind the headline: incentives, stakeholders, and what’s really at stake

Context matters. Japan’s ski industry has grown into an international hub, with resorts competing for visitors from Australia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America. Safety is central to that business model, because trust is what keeps families and first-time travelers booking.

The incentives are complicated:

• Resorts want to keep operations smooth and avoid disruptions during peak season

• Operators want to demonstrate that procedures and staff response are robust

• Regulators want to prevent copycat incidents and reassure the public

• Travelers want clear guidance on what they should do differently, without panic

The stakeholders are broader than the resort:

• Day’s family and community, who deserve clear answers and dignity

• Resort staff, who may be traumatized by the event and face scrutiny

• Other resorts, which may be asked to review their own lift protocols immediately

• Tour operators and travel insurers, who will be asked what coverage and advisories apply

• Future visitors, who may rethink lift behavior and equipment choices

What we still don’t know

Several key facts have not been publicly resolved:

• The exact component that snagged, and the specific contact point on the chair or unloading infrastructure

• Whether any mechanical irregularity was found during initial inspection

• The precise timeline from entanglement to lift stoppage and rescue

• Whether additional signage, staff positioning, or unload-area design changes will be recommended

Those missing pieces will determine whether this is treated as a freak accident rooted in personal equipment and timing, or as an incident that reveals a broader procedural gap.

Second-order effects: what may change after this

High-profile lift tragedies often trigger practical changes that ripple far beyond one resort:

• More aggressive reminders or enforcement around removing backpacks or securing straps before unload

• Staff retraining focused on spotting entanglement risk earlier

• Reviews of unload-area spacing, fencing, and emergency-stop response time

• Shifts in traveler behavior, including more people riding with backpacks held in front or removed entirely

• Increased attention from insurers, which can affect travel policy language and claims scrutiny

What happens next: realistic scenarios to watch

1. A formal incident report and safety recommendations
   Trigger: investigators complete the initial fact-finding and publish an official summary or guidance.

2. Operational changes at Tsugaike and nearby resorts
   Trigger: management implements new backpack protocols or modifies unload-area procedures.

3. A wider inspection push across lift operators
   Trigger: regulators or industry bodies encourage voluntary audits during peak season.

4. A community fundraising and support wave
   Trigger: friends and local communities rally around Day’s family with memorial efforts and practical assistance.

5. Travel guidance shifts for Australians heading to Japan
   Trigger: tour groups, schools, and clubs update their pre-trip briefings to emphasize lift behavior and equipment handling.

For travelers, the immediate lesson being repeated by ski professionals is simple and practical: treat the unload like a landing, not a finish line. Secure or remove anything that can snag, follow staff instructions, and stay alert in the final seconds, when most chairlift accidents happen.