THE father of ski tragedy schoolgirl Kathryn Nichols had hoped to be "putting her back on her feet, dusting her down and putting her skis back on" after seeing his daughter fall over a snow bank.
But the 10-year-old had plunged down a 30-metre embankment into an avalanche rail and later died from her injuries, an inquest heard.
Worcestershire coroner Victor Round, who read out a statement from the Alice Ottley School pupil's father Maurice at the hearing, said his "precise description" of the accident could not be bettered and he was happy to conclude the inquest. He recorded a verdict of accidental death on the youngster, who died of a neck fracture.
The inquest in Stourbridge heard that Kathryn, of Rochford House, Tenbury Wells, was on a family trip with her father, mother Carolyn and brothers Mark, 15, and Jonathan 12. They were in St Anton, Austria.
In his statement Mr Nichols revealed that on the day of the tragedy - Monday, December 17 - the family had finished skiing for the day and had decided to go ice-skating.
To reach their chalet they could take either of two routes down Mount Kaball and chose the easier one, as Jonathan was a more timid skier. Mr Nichols, his elder son and Kathryn had taken the more difficult route.
Mr Nichols led the party and described how he looked back at his daughter as she started to make a narrow left-hand turn.
"Something happened - she might have caught a ledge or hit a small raised bank of snow there," he said.
"Her ski popped off and I saw her fall over the small snow bank and beyond it. At that point it wasn't possible for me to see what was on the other side of the bank.
"I skied down hoping to be putting her back on her feet, dusting her down and putting her skis back on. Then I realised that beyond the bank was a reasonably steep embankment running down to the avalanche fence about 30 metres down the slope. I found her wedged against the bottom rail of the avalanche fence.
"The embankment on the edge of the piste was covered with a smooth, windswept, heavy crust of ice. I assume she fell on that and from there slid into the avalanche rail.
"She wouldn't have been able to control her slide and would have gathered speed into the avalanche rail."
Kathryn died at Zams Hospital near Innsbruck later that day.
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