A child crashed a sledge through a fence and plunged down a hillside - before being rescued from the snow-filled ditch.

The youngster was with his family on vacation when he used a sleigh on the mini ski slope in Niigata, Japan, on March 15.

Footage shows the boy sliding uncontrollably through the safety net, as his worried mother shouted for help and called over her husband.

The father then sprinted after his son upon hearing his loud cries for help, while his wife quickly called for assistance.

Moments later, staff at the Gala Yuzawa found the hapless kid trapped in a snow-covered ditch.

Upon seeing the distressing situation, both the staff and the father dug through the accumulated powder to rescue him.

Bodycam footage shows the rescuers pulling the boy out of the snow as he cries out.

The child reportedly only suffered a minor ice burn on his face, but he was visibly shaken by the incident.

The mother recalled that although they were keeping a close eye on their son, they did not know the safety barricades could be breached.

The resort management said: 'We regret the incident and apologise to the family. Guest safety is our priority, and we're reviewing our safety measures to prevent similar situations.'

In a separate incident, at least three people have died, and thousands of homes were left without power after heavy snow pummeled northwestern Japan on April 3.

The snowstorm blanketed parts of Niigata, Yamagata, and Aomori prefectures with over two metres of snow, stranding hundreds of vehicles on highways and disrupting train services.

More than 10,000 homes — mostly in Niigata — remained without electricity as of Wednesday morning, and supply delays were reported at convenience stores due to blocked routes.

Japan is expected to experience continued heavy snowfall through early April, with ongoing disruption in areas affected by this year's strong cold air mass and northwest winds, particularly in the northern and western regions.