Australian man dies while skiing with friends in Japan
A 27-year-old Australian man has died after he disappeared near a ski resort in Japan yesterday.
Michael "Micky" Hurst was exploring the back country of Niseko with several friends when he died of a suspected heart attack.
He was in the country working at a nearby ski resort.
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Michael "Micky" Hurst was exploring the back country of Niseko with several friends when he died of a suspected heart attack. LinkedIn
A family friend paid tribute to the Melbourne man.
"No mother wants to have to be the one to tell you the news your childhood best friend passed away having a heart attack on the slopes of Japan," she said on Facebook.
"Knowing he died doing the sport he loved the most makes us happy knowing you left this world in full action.
"You were the healthiest, good looking but most humblest child, young man, we knew."
According to his LinkedIn profile, the town planner was taking a "career break" in Japan over the 2025-26 ski season.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said authorities were providing consular assistance to the family.
"We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time," a spokesperson said in a statement.
An Australian man has died after he disappeared near a ski resort in Japan on Tuesday. .Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort
"Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment."
According to a translation of a local media report, the Hurst missing while skiing with a group of friends between Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort and Niseko Annupuri International Ski Resort in Niseko, Hokkaido.
Police joined the search for man, who found him being given CPR by a group of four.
Emergency services rushed the man, who had no visible injuries, to hospital where he later died.
Police are currently investigating the cause of the 27-year-old's death and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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The death comes days after 22-year-old Sunshine Coast woman Brooke Day died at a resort in the Hakuba Valley, a popular skiing and snowboarding region about 30 kilometres from Nagano.
It is believed the Sunshine Coast woman went into cardiac arrest after becoming stuck in a chairlift and suspended in the air.
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