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Canadian Freestyle Skier Sarah Burke Dies

MONDAY, 23 JANUARY 2012
Submitted By: Mariangela Silvestre

SALT LAKE CITY — Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke succumbed to injuries Thursday morning that she sustained in a fall Jan. 10 while training in the superpipe at Park City Mountain Resort.

University of Utah officials confirmed in a statement that Burke passed away at 9:22 a.m. surrounded by her family. As a result of the fall, she suffered a ruptured vertebral artery, one of the four major arteries supplying blood to the brain. The rupture of this artery led to severe bleeding. Emergency personnel performed CPR at the site of the accident, during which time she remained without a pulse or spontaneous breathing, the statement said.

She remained in a coma and on life support from the time she arrived at the hospital. Doctors conducted numerous neurological examinations and tests and revealed that Burke had sustained severe, irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after the cardiac arrest, the statement said. In accordance with her wishes, her family donated her organs "to save the lives of others."

The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude for the international outpouring of support they have received from all the people Sarah touched.

The family will not be making any other public comments about Sarah's accident.

With her death, the world loses a world-class athlete, a tireless advocate for women's athletics and a kind and generous soul.

source: www.getoutdoors.com

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