Freestyle ski star Sarah Burke in coma after crash
Freestyle ski star Sarah Burke in coma after crash
Published : 12-Jan-2012 07:53
Sarah Burke, X-Games Gold medal winner and Olympic hopeful, has been seriously injured in a ski accident in Park City, Utah, while at a training camp with one of her sponsors.A member of the Canadian Halfpipe team; Sarah is one of the most successful female freeskiers and has won eight X Games medals, including four Gold.
Image from the Vancouver Sun
From the Vancouver Sun's report :-
Burke, 29, was training on Park City Mountain Resort's "Eagle Superpipe" in the early afternoon when she suffered a head injury following a landing, witnesses said.
"Apparently she landed on her feet at the bottom of the pipe and then kind of bounced on to her head," said Canadian Freestyle Ski Association CEO Peter Judge, who heard accounts from athletes at the scene.
"It didn't look like it was a real stunner of a fall, but obviously it was one of those ones where she hit just right and it was more pointed than it appeared."
Park City Mountain Resort mountain patrol stabilized her at the scene and then transported her to base patrol, said Andy Miller, the resort's communications manager.
"From there, she was flown to a hospital in Salt Lake City," he said.
Judge said the severity of her injury is not yet known.
"The thing with head injuries, and even comas, is that they can be very deceiving," Judge said. "A coma could be something that's quite mild, and you come out of in a certain period of time, or it can be significant. At this point, it's pretty speculative to try and pin exactly what it is, or what the implications of it are."
And an update this morning from The Ski Channel :-
The beloved freeskier and world champion, Sarah Burke, 29, remains sedated in critical condition after crashing in Park City's 22-foot superpipe, according to the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association. News of the crash was reported yesterday, Tuesday, January 10, after a serious fall left her in the hands of ski patrol, quickly airlifting her from the resort to the local University hospital.
Burke's publicist reported that she was transported by AirMed helicopter to University of Utah Hospital from Park City Mountain Resort after sustaining serious injuries during training. She is currently listed in critical condition in the hospital's Neuro Critical Care Unit. Husband, Rory Bushfield, and the Burke family is by her side in the hospital.
"Sarah sustained serious injuries and remains intubated and sedated in critical condition," said Safdar Ansari, a neurointensivist with University of Utah Health Care. The statement was released by the Canadian Freestyle organization. Sources on site reported that the Canadian skier did land on her feet in the pipe, but then fell to her side resulting in serious whiplash.
Sarah's family has asked that fans and media respect their privacy during this difficult time. Sarah's friends and fans are encouraged to post their well wishes on Sarah's Facebook page.
Everyone at J2Ski wishes Sarah a swift recovery.
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