An eight-year-old Australian girl from the Gold Coast has died after a snowmobile accident in Japan’s Hakuba region, as local authorities investigate what caused the vehicle to overturn during a family holiday tour.
The child, identified in Australian media as Chloe Jeffries, 8, was injured on February 28 in the Hokujo area of Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture. Emergency services were called just before 11am after reports a snowmobile had flipped and a young girl had struck her head and was bleeding.
What happened in Hakuba
Japanese police and fire department officials said the girl was riding as a passenger on a snowmobile driven by her mother as part of a snowmobile experience tour. The vehicle reportedly went up an embankment and overturned.
She was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Matsumoto while in cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead. Authorities have not released further details and said the investigation remains ongoing.
Family holiday tour in a major ski destination
Local reporting indicated the family had travelled to Japan on holiday and that the child was participating in a recreational tour at the time of the accident. Hakuba is one of Japan’s best-known winter sports hubs, popular with international visitors for skiing and snow experiences.
Other recent incidents involving Australians in Japan’s ski regions
The tragedy comes amid heightened attention on safety in Japan’s winter sports areas following other serious incidents involving Australian visitors this season. In separate cases reported earlier this year, Australians died in incidents including backcountry skiing and a chairlift accident in Nagano.
More details on Chloe’s identity and community tributes were reported by news.com.au.
Tributes from home
Tributes have flowed from Chloe’s local sporting community, with messages describing her as a bright, kind presence who brought energy and joy to those around her. Friends and teammates shared condolences with her family as they face an unimaginable loss.
