A Taiwanese man was found buried in the snow outside a ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan on Monday, according to local media reports. The 41-year-old man surnamed Li (李) was pronounced dead after being sent to hospital.
Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting (UHB) and Hokkaido Broadcasting Company (HBC) reported that the incident occurred in a restricted area outside the Rusutsu Resort in Rusutsu Village. According to reports, Li and his wife had gone skiing on Monday morning and became separated at around noon.
Police said a foreign male alerted the ski resort after finding Li buried in the snow. Officers from the ski resort arrived at the scene about 20 minutes later. The man who reported the incident had rescued Li from the snow and performed a cardiac massage on him. However, Li had lost consciousness and was pronounced dead after being sent to hospital.
The police initially concluded that Li may have suffocated after being buried in the snow and there may have been severe impact to the head and face. The cause of the accident and death are still under investigation.