5-Year-Old Boy Dies After Getting Trapped in Ski Resort Escalator

A tragic accident at a popular ski destination in Japan has claimed the life of a young child, sending shockwaves through the local community and raising serious safety questions.

A 5-year-old boy died Sunday, Dec. 28, after becoming trapped in an outdoor escalator at Asari Ski Resort in Otaru, Hokkaido, according to the resort and local media. The child was identified as Hinata Goto by Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun.

In a statement, the resort said the fatal incident occurred around 10:12 a.m. on the belt-conveyor escalator that connects the parking lot to the main center house.

Hinata had been riding the escalator with his mother when he attempted to get off the roughly 30-meter walkway. Reports from The Guardian and The Asahi Shimbun say the boy fell and his arm became caught in the winding mechanism at the top of the escalator.

Emergency services were called around 10 a.m. after Hinata’s mother reported that her son was trapped. He was freed approximately 40 minutes later but had lost consciousness. He was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

According to The Asahi Shimbun, no staff members were stationed near the escalator at the time of the accident. Kensuke Tamagawa, the slope’s general manager, told the outlet that staff had been instructed to avoid the area for safety reasons.

Officials said the escalator is equipped with a safety cover designed to automatically stop the system if an object becomes caught. However, that mechanism did not activate during the incident. Instead, Hinata’s mother reportedly pressed the emergency stop button herself to halt the escalator.

The Hokkaido Police have launched an investigation into the incident, focusing on equipment safety and staffing procedures.

In its statement, the resort expressed condolences to the family and apologized for the tragedy.

“We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased customer,” the company said. “We also sincerely apologize for the occurrence of such a serious accident at a facility operated by our company.”

The resort added that it is fully cooperating with police, inspecting the facilities involved, and reviewing safety protocols to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.