Chloe Jeffries, from Australia, reportedly died while on vacation in Japan following the accident on Saturday, Feb. 28
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NEED TO KNOW
- An 8-year-old girl has reportedly died after a snowmobile she was riding on with her mom overturned on Saturday, Feb. 28
- The incident occurred near Hakuba Village in central Japan during a family vacation, per a statement shared by travel company Hakuba Lion Adventure
- The victim has been identified as Chloe Jeffries of Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, according to outlets including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the BBC
An 8-year-old girl has reportedly died after a vacation snowmobile accident in Japan.
On Sunday, March 1, travel company Hakuba Lion Adventure confirmed in a statement that a guest had died following an incident that took place during a tour the day before, at around 10:50 a.m. local time near Hakuba Village in central Japan.
“During the tour, near an uphill curve along a forest road, the snowmobile from the front left the course while navigating the curve and rode up onto the embankment at the side of the trail,” the statement read. “The vehicle subsequently overturned back onto the course.”
“As a result of the overturn, the passenger riding tandem on the snowmobile became trapped beneath the vehicle," the statement added.
The deceased has been identified as 8-year-old Chloe Jeffries from Queensland, Australia, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), U.K. newspaper The Guardian, the BBC and 9 News.
Credit: Getty
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According to the ABC, Chloe was a student at Currumbin State School in Currumbin, which is a coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland.
Hakuba Lion Adventure revealed in its statement that emergency services arrived immediately after the incident, with first aid measures taking place.
Chloe was rushed to hospital following the tragedy, but she later died from her injuries, the ABC reported.
The student had been on the snowmobile with her mom at the time of the incident, becoming the fourth Australian this year to lose their life while traveling in Japan, the ABC stated.
“At present, we are working closely with the police and other relevant authorities to thoroughly confirm the facts of the incident,” Hakuba Lion Adventure wrote in its statement.
Credit: Getty
The company said in the post that the tour had been carried out by three guides with a total of nine snowmobiles.
“Accordingly, we have decided to suspend our Snowmobile Tours and Snowshoe Tours until further notice,” they added. “In addition, we will conduct a thorough review and detailed verification of all aspects of these tour operations and safety procedures.”
On Wednesday, March 4, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade revealed it was supporting the family of an Australian citizen who died in Japan, according to the Guardian.
“We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,” the agency said in a statement, per the outlet.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Japan Police, the Currumbin State School and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for additional information, but didn’t immediately receive responses.
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