Kai Smart, the 23-year-old son of Olympian John Smart, has died following injuries suffered in an avalanche while skiing in Japan.
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John Smart shared the news in a statement, confirming his son's death after days of hospitalization.
"It is with immense sadness that we have to let you know that our kind, brave and beautiful son... is no longer with us," he wrote. "We are beyond heartbroken and there are no words to describe the pain."
Kai was buried in an avalanche on March 13 and suffered severe oxygen deprivation. He was initially treated in Japan before being airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital.
Doctors later determined the damage was too severe.
"Tragically, the severe lack of oxygen he endured... had destroyed any chance of recovery," his father said. "We said our final farewells."
Kai was described as an elite athlete and adventurer with deep ties to the Whistler community. He graduated with honors from the University of British Columbia in 2025 and had recently completed work on a ski film documenting a remote expedition in Central Asia.
His father remembered him as someone who lived fully.
"Kai was a warrior, a mountain man, an explorer of the world... He lived life to the fullest every single day."
In the midst of the loss, the family shared one final note citing the fact that Kai was an organ donor. His heart and other organs helped save multiple lives.
"That gives us great comfort," his father wrote.
