Hinata Goto, a five-year-old boy, was struck at a ski resort in northern Japan and lost his life tragically. Unfortunately, he got stuck in an automatic, moving travelator, resulting in this tragic accident. The tragic events took place on a family outing in Otaru, a city on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido.
Hinata in his ski gear and ski boots. He took a tumble as he tried to exit the 100-foot-long bridge that connects the resort’s parking lot to its ski slope. His right arm got caught in the mechanism that allowed the walkway to move back and forth. His mom hit the emergency stop button to protect him. As with most new mechanisms intended to enhance accountability and oversight, the mechanism could not prevent the tragedy.
Emergency services were called to the scene by Hinata’s mother, who witnessed the incident. Thanks to the quick response of firefighters who acted quickly and efficiently to rescue the boy. It still took close to 40 minutes to get him out of the machine. Once released, Hinata was quickly transported to a local hospital and was declared dead shortly after arrival.
The ski resort had come under fire over whether the travelator is safe. As detailed on the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) preliminary accident report, its safety switch seems to have failed after it had passed routine inspection earlier that same day. This calls into question the adequacy of the facility’s safety protections.
Hinata Goto was from Sapporo, a major city close to the winter resort. The family was visiting Otaru on a skiing holiday, common in the region during the winter. This tragic event has left the local community in mourning as they grapple with the unexpected loss of a young life.