Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke died on Thursday, nine days after she was severely injured at the bottom of a routine training run in Utah.

Burke suffered the injury, characterized by a freestyle ski official as a "freak accident," while training at the Eagle Superpipe at Park City Mountain Resort on Jan. 10.

The 29-year-old later underwent surgery, but imaging studies revealed that she had suffered irreversible brain damage due to lack of oxygen.

In accordance with her wishes, Burke's tissues were donated to save the lives of others, her family said in a statement.

The family has also been asked about donations to help cover medical costs associated with the emergency hospital stay.

"The family was moved by the sincere and heartfelt sympathy expressed by people inspired by Sarah from all around the world. They have received a substantial number of inquiries from those who would like to make a contribution on behalf of Sarah," the statement said.

• For information about how to donate, please visit the GiveForward website.

Burke was a four-time winner at the Winter X Games, and was considered a pioneer who became the best-known athlete in the sport.

She had lobbied successfully to have the sport brought into the Olympics, where it will debut at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

Named as the Best Female Action Sports Athlete by ESPN in 2007, Burke spent her early years in Barrie, Ont., but lived in Squamish, B.C.

Despite breaking a vertebrae in her lower back during a fall and missing significant time in 2009, she had bounced back and was due to again compete in the Winter X Games this month.

She was also considered a favourite to win gold at the 2014 Games.

The accident, which occurred on the same pipe where snowboarder Kevin Pearce also suffered serious injuries in 2009, has drawn into question the safety of such sports. Pipe snowboarding is considered a sister sport.

Some superpipes now have walls that soar as high as 22 feet, which is 25 per cent higher than those built in the last decade.

Peter Judge, CEO from the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, characterized the fatal outcome as a "freak accident" turned tragic.

"It seems to be more of a fluke outcome than anything else," he told reporters Thursday.

He noted that Burke was attempting a relatively common aerial trick called a flatspin 540 when the crash occurred.

When asked about the dangerous nature of the sport, Judge said that officials attempt to make it as safe as possible.

"There is an element of risk in any sport. There is an element of risk walking down the street," he said.

"That is why they train so carefully, that is why there's so much safety built in," he added, referring to venues and equipment such as helmets.

"Nothing is going to eliminate all accidents."

Severe injury

Hospital officials say that during the fall, Burke ruptured her vertebral artery, which is one of the four major arteries that supplies blood to the brain.

The rupture led to a brain hemorrhage, which caused Burke to go into cardiac arrest as she lay motionless on the ski course.

Following the fall, Burke did not have a pulse and wasn't breathing, and emergency crews gave her CPR.

Once at the hospital, doctors placed her on life support and used therapeutic hypothermia in an effort to protect her brain. Hospital officials say that she later retained functions in her brainstem.

A day after the accident, doctors repaired the damaged artery, but further testing showed that Burke's brain was irreversibly damaged, due to lack of oxygen and blood.

Tributes flood in

Canadian Olympic Committee President, Marcel Aubut, said Burke's death is a loss for the sporting community and the country.

"Today, Canada and the world lost a wonderful athlete and a great Canadian ambassador in freestyle skier Sarah Burke," he said in a statement.

"Sarah was a true inspiration to all who had the privilege to know her, especially to the new generation of athletes in this country as she helped define the superpipe discipline in the sport of freestyle skiing."

The minister of state for sport, Bal Gosal, said the death comes as Burke was preparing for a run at the 2014 Games.

"The country mourns the loss of this exceptional young Canadian skier. Her legacy will live on in the sport that she so loved and championed. She will be missed"

Thousands of messages were posted to her Facebook page, with fans expressing sadness about the loss.

In 2010, Burke married fellow pro-skier Rory Bushfield. Burke leaves behind her husband, parents Jan and Gordon and a sister Anna.