A former Olympic Sailing coach and sailmaker from Hamble has died after being caught in an avalanche in the French Alps, according to reports.

David Robinson and his wife Chrissy, both experienced skiers, were skiing off-piste with friends in Val D’Isere on Boxing Day when they were trapped.

His
wife managed to inflate a safety airbag
to enable rescuers to locate her position but Mr Robinson, 67, was unable to do so and he was found thanks to a
transceiver device before being airlifted to
hospital in Grenoble.

Their ski guide, Wayne Watson, told the PA that Mr
Robinson died on Monday with his wife and best friend by his
side. 

“It was one of those things. I have been
doing this for about 30 years and we ski off piste seven days a week.
There are times when the mountains just let go. It was a tragic
accident. We try our best to keep people safe.

“David was a great guy. I had known him for at least 10 years. He will be sadly missed. It was just dreadful.”

Mr Robinson was an Olympic Sailing Coach and ran Sobstad Sails until his retirement.