8 Tourists Caught in Avalanche in Japan
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Kyodo News reported that eight tourists were caught in an avalanche on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. Officials say the skiers were off-piste at the Tomamu ski resort in the village of Shumukappu.
The avalanche hit around 3:25 p.m. on Thursday, January 30th. One of the victims who was able to escape skied down the mountain and made an emergency call to rescuers.
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One of the victims was reported to be unconscious while the others appeared to be unhurt. The avalanche traveled 165 feet and was 10-15 feet in width.
More updates as they become available.
Update: Friday, January 31, 2020
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Police say that the unconscious man, who is now being identified as 38 year old frenchman Sylvain Rene Nicolas Lethier, was confirmed dead Friday morning.
The group of eight had arrived from France about a week prior to the incident. While one of the group members skied down to call for help after the avalanche, the other six backcountry skiers tried to revive Lethier, but were unsuccessful.
Authorities found the victim the following day in a snow cave that his friends had built. Our thoughts and love go out to Lethier's friends and family.
