A tragic incident at a popular Alberta ski resort has highlighted a hidden danger on the slopes. A woman from Toronto died this past Saturday after falling into a pocket of deep, fresh snow at Sunshine Village Ski Resort in Banff.
Details of the Fatal Fall on a Beginner Run
The victim has been identified as 47-year-old Farah Merchant of Toronto. Her brother, Faiz Merchant, confirmed her identity in a social media post, describing her as a loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend with a kind soul who touched many lives.
The accident occurred on the afternoon of Saturday, December 27, 2025, on Banff Avenue, a green-circle run known for its wide, gentle, and groomed terrain suitable for beginners. According to resort spokesperson Kendra Scurfield, another skier witnessed the fall and attempted to help. The Sunshine Village ski patrol responded to the call within three minutes, finding the skier unresponsive.
Rescue Efforts and Possible Cause of Death
The ski patrol team spent approximately two hours performing resuscitation efforts, but they were unsuccessful. Scurfield stated the initial assessment indicated the skier did not fall into a tree well—a known hazard of loose snow around a tree's base—but still experienced a "deep snow immersion" situation.
The resort spokesperson said the preliminary cause of death could be "asphyxiation due to the snow or cardiac arrest." The woman's body has been sent to Calgary for an official autopsy, as confirmed by the RCMP.
Understanding Snow Immersion Suffocation (SIS)
The suspected cause aligns with a known risk called Snow Immersion Suffocation (SIS). As explained by safety organizations like Back Country Skiing Canada, SIS can occur when a skier or snowboarder falls into deep, unconsolidated snow, often head-first, and becomes immobilized.
In an inverted position, loose snow can pack in around the person's face, making breathing extremely difficult. Without immediate rescue from a partner, suffocation can occur as quickly as drowning in water. It is not publicly known if Farah Merchant was skiing with a partner at the time of the incident.
The resort has extended its deepest sympathies to the Merchant family and thanked its ski patrol for their dedicated response. This tragedy comes during a record snowfall month for Sunshine Village, which had already received 258 centimetres of snow in December 2025, making it the fifth snowiest month in the resort's history. An additional 11 centimetres fell the night before the fatal accident.
