Five-year-old boy dies after getting caught in Japan ski travelator
Wednesday, 2025/12/31225 words3 minutes820 reads
A catastrophic incident at the Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort in Hokkaido, Japan, has resulted in the untimely death of a five-year-old boy, Hinata Goto. The tragedy unfolded when the child's arm became entangled in the machinery of a travelator designed to transport skiers to the slopes. Despite the presence of an ostensibly functional safety mechanism, it failed to engage, necessitating manual intervention by the boy's mother to halt the apparatus via an emergency stop button.
The extrication process was arduous, with rescue personnel spending approximately 40 minutes dismantling portions of the travelator to free the unconscious child. Tragically, medical efforts proved futile, and he was pronounced deceased upon arrival at the hospital. This incident has precipitated a police investigation into potential professional negligence, encompassing both the manufacturing and maintenance protocols of the equipment.
The travelator in question, a relatively recent installation of about six years, spans 30 meters in length and 60 centimeters in width, notably lacking handrails. Its primary function is to facilitate access between the resort's parking area and the ski slopes. In the aftermath of this calamity, the resort management has issued an apology and pledged to implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
This tragic event has cast a shadow over Hokkaido's reputation as Japan's premier skiing destination, potentially impacting the region's tourism industry, which annually attracts millions of winter sports enthusiasts.
