An American freestyle skier, Kyle Smaine, has passed away in an avalanche while skiing in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in the middle of Honshu Island. Nagano police reports say that up to five men from the US and Austria were involved in the avalanche that occurred on the eastern side of Mount Hakuba Norikura, with three of them escaping on their own while Smaine and another man were stuck on the mountain, unable to survive. Smaine had just earlier posted about his Japan trip on Instagram, writing about the quality of the snow. Smaine was a gold medalist in the halfpipe at the 2015 FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships. Such incidents, especially as severe snowfall affected the severe disruption that the country faced, have led officials to investigate whether if the weather has caused various casualties. The US embassy in Tokyo has expressed awareness of the case and has promised to provide the necessary aid while refraining from further comments due to privacy considerations. Friends, athletes, and fans also mourned Smaine’s death and shared tributes on his Instagram and other social media platforms.
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