Unfortunately, a 22-year-old snowboarder from Australia passed away in a horrific accident on Jan. 30.
It's been reported that Brooke Day suffered a cardiac arrest after her backpack got caught on a ski lift at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Japan. Her family told PEOPLE that she was "an advanced snowboarder" and that she was entering her fourth season on the slopes.
"Brooke recently completed a 3-Day Avalanche course. In the past few weeks, she used that knowledge to help rescue four people from life-threatening situations," the family said. "To keep herself and friends safe, Brooke was wearing the Avalanche Rescue backpack on [the day of the accident]."
Day's backpack got caught on the ski lift at around 9 a.m. local time. After being dragged through the air, she was taken down and rushed to the hospital. Her loved ones were by her side when she passed away.
Carlos Gil Andreu/Getty Images
A GoFundMe page has been created for the Day family. More than $47,000 has already been donated at this time.
"As they mourn, the family also needs time away from work to be together, support one another, and begin to process this devastating loss. This GoFundMe has been created to help ease some of the financial burden during this period, including unexpected costs arising from this tragedy, and to give the family the space, time, and support they need," the page states. "Any contribution, no matter the amount, will make a meaningful difference. If you’re unable to donate, sharing this page or keeping Brooke’s family in your thoughts is deeply appreciated."
Our thoughts remain with the Day family.