by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:30 PM ET, Tue January 17, 2017
On Tuesday, an Australian family which went missing Monday in Japan during a skiing trip was found safe by search teams.
According to ABC.net, an Australian woman in her 50s was on a ski trip with her three sons, believed to be in their 20s, when they did not return from their day of skiing Monday.
A family member not on the trip saw one of the missing tourists asking for help on Facebook and contacted Japanese authorities. The message said the family had "dug a cave in the snow to shelter from the cold."
On Monday night, temperatures fell to 14 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -4 degrees.
Police in Japan began investigating the disappearance and believed the family would likely be found near the summit of the mountain at the Nozawa Onsen ski resort, at an altitude of 1,600 meters.
Heavy snow in the region made it impossible for rescue teams to use helicopters in the search, but authorities found the family Tuesday at the top of a mountain and reported that all members of the family were safe.
The Nozawa Onsen resort-located on the west coast of Japan's main island-has become a popular tourist destination for skiers and snowboarders due to the ideal snow conditions in the area.
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