TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 41-year-old Taiwanese man named Li (李) died while on a ski holiday at Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido, Japan, on Monday (Jan. 15).
The man reportedly went skiing with his wife at noon, though the two soon lost contact with each other, Japanese media reported. Later, a foreign man skiing in the area reported spotting a man upside down in a stream in a prohibited area, per Taiwan News.
Both the ski patrol and rescue personnel were quickly dispatched to the scene, where they discovered Li to be unconscious and suffering from severe injuries to his head and body. He was soon rushed to the local hospital, where he could not be saved.
Well-known Taiwanese ski instructor and travel writer Natasha Wang (娜塔蝦) said the resort where the accident occurred is quite large and therefore suitable for skiers of differing skill levels, from beginners to advanced skiers. As details of the case have yet to be revealed, she refrained from commenting on the cause of the accident.
Wang reminded the public to follow all of the signs posted at the ski resort and not enter areas that are not open to the public without special permission. Wang said that prohibited areas of ski resorts haven’t been groomed, with snow potentially becoming very deep, making it easy to become buried.
She also encouraged skiers to make note of the emergency phone number provided by the ski resort. In the case of an accident, you can also seek help from the cable car station staff or ski rescue team by contacting the emergency number.
Recently, more Taiwanese people are going abroad for ski vacations, and Japanese ski resorts have become their first choice. However, the increased popularity of skiing has led to more accidents.
For example, on January 12, a 23-year-old male college student from Taiwan fell and hit his head while snowboarding at the Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort in Nagano, Japan. Despite wearing a helmet, he couldn’t be saved after the ski patrol team rushed him to nearby Nagano Municipal Hospital.
To cut down on ski accidents when traveling abroad, Wang offers the following suggestions before strapping on skis or snowboards: first, hire a professional instructor; second, wear protective equipment correctly; and third, remember emergency contact numbers.
