Skier who fell in deep snow in Banff may have died by suffocation, resort says
A woman who fell into a pocket of deep, soft, fresh snow while skiing in Banff on Saturday may have died by suffocation, according to a local ski resort.
The victim was later identified by her brother as 47-year-old Farah Merchant of Toronto.
“She was a loving and devoted mother to her son, Liam, a cherished daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend,” Faiz Merchant wrote in a Facebook post confirmed by National Post. “She had a kind soul and touched so many lives with her love, warmth, and compassion. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.”
The ski patrol team at the Sunshine Village Ski Resort in Alberta responded to a call about an unresponsive skier on Banff Avenue, a green run in the lower mountain area, in the afternoon and arrived within three minutes, as reported by the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
With wide, gentle and groomed slopes, green runs are considered the easiest terrain for skiers.
Another skier tried to help Merchant after witnessing her fall, said Kendra Scurfield, the resort’s director of brand and communications, in a statement to the Outlook.
The ski patrol spent two hours trying to resuscitate her to no avail, she said.
Scurfield said it appeared the woman didn’t fall into a tree well — an area around the base of a tree where unconsolidated snow creates a hazard similar to quicksand — but still ended up in a “deep snow immersion” situation.
“It looked like she had fallen into deep snow and there may have been either asphyxiation due to the snow or cardiac arrest,” Scurfield said.
According to Back Country Skiing Canada, snow immersion suffocation (SIS) can occur when someone falls into deep, loose snow and becomes immobilized, usually in a head-first position.
“In an inverted position you can become trapped under the snow. Breathing becomes difficult as the loose snow packs in around you.
“If a partner is not there for immediate rescue, the skier or rider may die very quickly from suffocation — in many cases, he or she can die as quickly as someone can drown in water.”
It’s not clear if Merchant was skiing with a partner at the time.
The woman’s body was sent to Calgary for autopsy, the RCMP told the Outlook.
The resort also extended its sympathies to her family.
“We understand how hard it must be for them, and we’d also like to thank our ski patrol team for their work,” Scrufield stated.
On Dec. 26, Sunshine Village said it had already received 258 centimetres, making it the fifth snowiest month in its recorded history. Another 11 centimetres fell the night before Merchant’s death.
National Post has contacted the resort and the RCMP for comment and more information.
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