A NEWQUAY-born woman has died after falling on a ski-slope in Austria while celebrating her birthday with her family.

Sandra Thompson fell backward and hit her head while snowboarding in Kitzbuhel.

Despite wearing a helmet she was knocked unconcious.

Paramedics worked at the scene to try to revive her and she was airlifted to Innsbruck University Hospital.

Two days later her family gave permission for her life-support to be switched off after doctors discovered she had a subdural haematoma from which she would not recover.

Mrs Thompson, 59, had been snowboarding with husband David, 58, sons James, 30, and Christopher, 25, and their girlfriends.

She was an experience snowboarder and, although they had only been in the country for two days, they had already tackled more difficult slopes on the trip.

She died a week after her 59th birthday, on February 8.

Sandra Thompson, nee Bicknell, was born in Newquay and met her husband in the town when he got a job there.

They married in Newquay and she went on to teach in Cornwall, Cheshire and Hampshire.

Her husband became managing partner in a firm of solicitors.

Her family today said: "Sandra died doing what she enjoyed with her boys around her. We will miss her so

much."

The couple settled in Chandler's Ford, near Southampton, 17 years ago and a funeral will be held for her in the town's Methodist Church on February 27.

There will be a short service at Newquay Methodist Church on February 29 after which Mrs Thompson will be buried at Newquay's Fairpark Cemetery.