Foreign Snowboarder in Serious Condition After Hanging in Midair from Chairlift in Nagano Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:21 JST, January 31, 2026

NAGANO — A foreign snowboarder has been in serious condition after hanging in midair from a chairlift at a ski resort in Otari, Nagano Prefecture, on Friday, police said.

The woman, who is in her 20s, has been in cardiac arrest following the accident near the chairlift’s unloading area, according to police.

The police received an emergency call from Tsugaike Mountain Resort at around 9:50 a.m., which said the woman got injured after failing to dismount the chairlift. She is believed to have been left hanging in midair as the lift made a U-return to the loading area.

The snowboarder had been riding with another person at the time of the accident, who was uninjured, according to police.