French killed in Japan’s ski mountain

January 31, 2020 admin French, japan’s ski mountain, World

Credit to Author: Agence France-Presse| Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2020 16:13:52 +0000

TOKYO: The body of a French man was found Friday after an avalanche struck a northern Japanese mountain where he was backcountry skiing with seven other French citizens, local police said Friday.

The death of Sylvain Lethier, 38, was confirmed after a rescue team found his body off the slopes of the Tomamu ski resort in the northern Hokkaido region, a brief police statement said.

Tomamu, Japan: Japanese media gather at a ski resort in Tomamu in central Hokkaido on January 30, 2020, following an avalanche accident. A French national was in critical condition on January 30 after he was caught with seven compatriots in an avalanche near a ski resort in northern Japan, a local official said. The eight were hit by the avalanche near Tomamu in central Hokkaido, according to an official with the local firefighting department. AFP PHOTO

The avalanche happened Thursday afternoon when the group of eight went off the resort’s ski courses to venture into the untouched snow on the mountain.

Seven of the group were able to descend on their own by Thursday evening after the avalanche, leaving Lethier, who was “unconscious and in critical condition,” according to a local fire official.

Tomamu is one of a number of destinations in Hokkaido that boasts international-quality powder and is popular with foreign skiers and snowboarders.

AFP

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