Woman dies after falling into deep snow at Sunshine Village

Despite efforts to revive her, a woman is dead after falling into deep snow at Sunshine Village Ski Resort over the weekend.

A 47-year-old woman is dead after falling into deep snow at Sunshine Village Ski Resort while skiing on a popular green run over the weekend.

Banff RCMP received a call around 3:37 p.m. on Saturday for a report of a sudden death.

EMS and STARS air ambulance attended but were unable to revive the woman.

RCMP say the medical examiner will determine the cause of death, and at this time the death does not appear suspicious.

Family has confirmed the deceased is Farah Merchant of Toronto.

Kendra Scurfield, vice-president of brand and communications at Banff Sunshine Village, says crews from the resort were on scene within three minutes of being alerted.

“They did perform CPR for over two hours, hoping to revive her,” said Scurfield.

“Unfortunately, that attempt was unsuccessful, and the woman did pass away.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult period of time.”

Scurfield says the patrol team worked on trying to revive the woman at the side of the slopes, but she had already passed.

“When situations like this do occur, our team really tries to work swiftly in the background,” she said.

“It is our No. 1 priority to try to work to deliver a safe experience for all to enjoy the beauty of the Canadian Rockies.”

The woman’s cause of death is not yet known, but Scurfield says early reports indicate the woman suffocated.

“The woman did fall into a soft snow immersion, and she was unresponsive on scene,” said Scurfield.

“I have heard it could have been asphyxiation, or it could have been cardiac arrest.”