Flags fly at half-mast for Australian man who died on Japanese ski mountain

Thursday, 5 February 2026 17:16

Michael Hurst, 27, was skiing in the back country of Niseko when he died of a suspected heart attack on Tuesday.

Flags have been flown at half-mast at the former school of a Melbourne skier who passed away on the slopes in Japan.

Michael Hurst, 27, was skiing in the back country of Niseko, on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, with several friends when he died of a suspected heart attack on Tuesday.

Hurst, who grew up in Melbourne's Bayside area, was remembered by his Mentone school St Bede's College, where flags were flown at half-mast today in his honour.

Hurst was enjoying a ski season in Japan when he tragically died.

Flags were flown at half mast at St Bede's College.

"Michael served our community with distinction as college captain in 2016," principal Deb Frizza said.

"As a faith community, we unite in prayer, commending Michael to the loving mercy of God and praying for comfort, strength, and peace for his family during this time of profound grief.

"We also hold in our prayers our colleagues and community members who knew, taught, and were close to Michael."

According to a translation of a local media report, Hurst went missing while skiing with a group of friends between Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort and Niseko Annupuri International Ski Resort in Niseko, Hokkaido.

Michael Hurst, 27, died of a suspected heart attack while skiing in Japan.

Police joined the search and 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.

According to his LinkedIn profile, the town planner was taking a "career break" in Japan over the 2025-26 ski season, where he was working at a ski resort.

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.

Hurst was the second Australian to die on the slopes in Japan in just a matter of days, after 22-year-old Sunshine Coast woman Brooke Day was killed in a ski lift accident at a resort near Hakuba.

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