Devon mother dies after Austria ski fall
A Devon woman has died after suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident.
Mother-of-two Carol Tolson, 55, died on 2 March, seven days after falling at Obergurgl in Austria.
Mrs Tolson, who was skiing with husband Robin Tolson QC, a deputy High Court judge, was taken to Innsbruck Hospital but did not regain consciousness.
Mr Tolson, of Lympstone, east Devon, said his wife was a good skier and had been wearing a ski helmet.
Mr Tolson, a leading children and families lawyer, said: "I was only a few metres behind Carol and saw what happened.
"She just had a minor fall of the kind that skiers have all the time."
He added that his wife's death was a "desperately sad tragedy" for the family and "especially hard" on their two daughters.
"Carol was a good skier who tackled much harder slopes than this one.
"She was wearing a proper skiing helmet. She had not been drinking. No other skier was involved and the piste was quiet and in good condition."
He thanked the "amazing Austrian rescue services and staff at the hospital in Innsbruck".
Mrs Tolson taught music at Honiton Community College until two years ago.
She was also a member of her local amateur dramatics society, the Lympstone Players.
Society chairman Shirley Wilkes said: "She was a very great friend of mine.
"She was a fantastic person and the whole village is devastated."