Skier Sarah Burke died Thursday in Salt Lake City, Utah, after a crash on January 10 left her with “severe irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen,” according to a statement released by her family. In what has been described as a “whiplash” fall during a superpipe training run at Park City Mountain Resort, Burke, 29, ruptured her vertebral artery and went into cardiac arrest. Emergency personnel on scene performed CPR and she was quickly flown to University of Utah Hospital, where surgeons successfully repaired the torn artery and placed Burke on life support. Further neurological tests revealed that the damage had been too severe. Burke, a four-time X-Games champion, was instrumental in bringing halfpipe skiing to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. An online fundraiser to help cover Burke’s medical expenses is .
Sarah Burke Succumbs to Injuries
Skier sustained "irreversible damage"
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