By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 08:10 EST, 13 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:33 EST, 13 March 2014 . Aleksander Owens-Thurston, 23, flew 43ft through the air and crashed into a metal girder . A former public schoolboy was killed in a skiing accident after falling 43ft . through the air and crashing into a metal girder supporting a snow . cannon. Aleksander Owens-Thurston, 23, was skiing at the Austrian resort of Kaprun when the accident happened on the managed slope. The metal frame was not covered in protective padding and his family believe the tragedy could have been prevented if safety standards were better. His father Phillip Owens-Thurston, an IT expert  has condemned safety measures at the resort. 'When they installed it they should have taken a look and said, ‘What could happen here, can someone get thrown onto it?,' he said. 'If they had put padding in I think he would not be dead now. 'I think he would be hospital with us writing sarcy comments on his plaster. 'It would not be good, but he would be alive. This was supposed to be a managed piste. 'You don’t stick a huge chunk of steel out where people can fall into it at 30 or 40 miles an hour - and that is what is going to happen. The graduate was skiing at the upmarket Austrian resort of Kaprun when the accident happened on the managed slope on February 24 . 'Skiing is not a safe sport but for them to put more risks and not think about it; they did not think about it.' Mr Owens-Thurston is a former pupil of £15,000-a-year Taunton School in Somerset and . worked in IT after graduating from the University of Surrey with an . economics degree last year. He died on February 24 whilst on holiday with his father and mother Kasia, 48, and 21-year-old brother Richard. The family, who go skiing every year, were enjoying a holiday in Kaprun when Aleksander lost control on an advanced black run. Mr Owens-Thurston graduated from University of Surrey with an economics degree last year. Pictured with girlfriend Ellis . Witnesses said he lost control and veered off the side of the ski run before flying through the air and smashing into the cannon’s metal arm. A doctor skiing nearby began CPR but was unable to save Aleksander, who was not wearing a helmet - which is not required attire in Austria. His mother Agnieszka, known as Kasia, . a corporate actions supervisor at Citibank, told police her son owned a . helmet but refused to wear it and had left it in their hotel room. His father, 49, defended Aleksander’s decision not to wear head . protection and added that the family were devastated at the loss of the . young lad. He said: 'We . go skiing every year and we’ve been doing that for ten years. He was . the best of us - a very good skier. He had a big grin on his face all . that day. 'Where he hit . his head would not have really been covered by a helmet anyway. The one . thing that might have saved him is the padding. 'If what’s happened to Aleks can save even one life, then we can take something away from it. At the moment we have nothing. 'He . lived life to the full and it’s a tragedy that he’s been taken from us. I don’t begrudge a second of the time we had with him, but I begrudge . the moments we’ll now never have. 'He was such a wonderful young man and will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.' Police . spokesman Markus Maier said: 'He was not wearing a crash helmet and was . on piste number 25 which is categorised as a black run and therefore . difficult. 'He was at a height of roughly 1,700m when he lost control and ended up sliding 130ft down the slope before shooting into the air at the side of the ski run. 'He went about 43ft through the air and hit his head against the arm of an artificial snow cannon at full speed. The family, who go skiing every year, were enjoying a holiday in the Austrian resort of Kaprun (pictured) when Aleksander lost control on an advanced black run . 'By chance there was a group of three skiers behind and one of these was a doctor who was able to give emergency CPR to the young man and called for an emergency helicopter. 'But the emergency doctor could only certify that the young man was dead.' Mr r Owens-Thurston's father's calls for safety improvements were echoed by a coroner. West Somerset Coroner Michael Rose spoke out as he opened and adjourned the inquest and urged Britons heading off on skiing holidays during the forthcoming Easter break to wear a helmet. The coroner said the IT worker suffered fractures to his skull 'due to a ski accident where he fell and collided into a snow machine' on February 24 while skiing on a black run. 'After a fall while skiing he possibly fell head on into a snow machine. I have given authorisation for the funeral,' Mr Rose said. 'The deceased was not wearing a helmet. We are coming up soon to the Easter holidays and I would urge anyone to wear a helmet. 'I would urge the Austrian authorities to put padding on the snow machines.' Mr Owens-Thurston's family were not present during the brief hearing in Taunton today and his funeral is due to take place in the Somerset town tomorrow.
Aleksander Owens-Thurston, 23, died at Austrian resort of Kaprun .
Fell 43ft and crashed into a metal girder supporting a snow cannon .
Father has condemned safety measures at the upmarket Austrian resort .
He says the metal frame needed to have padded surrounding it .
By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 08:10 EST, 13 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:33 EST, 13 March 2014 . Aleksander Owens-Thurston, 23, flew 43ft through the air and crashed into a metal girder . A former public schoolboy was killed in a skiing accident after falling 43ft . through the air and crashing into a metal girder supporting a snow . cannon. Aleksander Owens-Thurston, 23, was skiing at the Austrian resort of Kaprun when the accident happened on the managed slope. The metal frame was not covered in protective padding and his family believe the tragedy could have been prevented if safety standards were better. His father Phillip Owens-Thurston, an IT expert  has condemned safety measures at the resort. 'When they installed it they should have taken a look and said, ‘What could happen here, can someone get thrown onto it?,' he said. 'If they had put padding in I think he would not be dead now. 'I think he would be hospital with us writing sarcy comments on his plaster. 'It would not be good, but he would be alive. This was supposed to be a managed piste. 'You don’t stick a huge chunk of steel out where people can fall into it at 30 or 40 miles an hour - and that is what is going to happen. The graduate was skiing at the upmarket Austrian resort of Kaprun when the accident happened on the managed slope on February 24 . 'Skiing is not a safe sport but for them to put more risks and not think about it; they did not think about it.' Mr Owens-Thurston is a former pupil of £15,000-a-year Taunton School in Somerset and . worked in IT after graduating from the University of Surrey with an . economics degree last year. He died on February 24 whilst on holiday with his father and mother Kasia, 48, and 21-year-old brother Richard. The family, who go skiing every year, were enjoying a holiday in Kaprun when Aleksander lost control on an advanced black run. Mr Owens-Thurston graduated from University of Surrey with an economics degree last year. Pictured with girlfriend Ellis . Witnesses said he lost control and veered off the side of the ski run before flying through the air and smashing into the cannon’s metal arm. A doctor skiing nearby began CPR but was unable to save Aleksander, who was not wearing a helmet - which is not required attire in Austria. His mother Agnieszka, known as Kasia, . a corporate actions supervisor at Citibank, told police her son owned a . helmet but refused to wear it and had left it in their hotel room. His father, 49, defended Aleksander’s decision not to wear head . protection and added that the family were devastated at the loss of the . young lad. He said: 'We . go skiing every year and we’ve been doing that for ten years. He was . the best of us - a very good skier. He had a big grin on his face all . that day. 'Where he hit . his head would not have really been covered by a helmet anyway. The one . thing that might have saved him is the padding. 'If what’s happened to Aleks can save even one life, then we can take something away from it. At the moment we have nothing. 'He . lived life to the full and it’s a tragedy that he’s been taken from us. I don’t begrudge a second of the time we had with him, but I begrudge . the moments we’ll now never have. 'He was such a wonderful young man and will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.' Police . spokesman Markus Maier said: 'He was not wearing a crash helmet and was . on piste number 25 which is categorised as a black run and therefore . difficult. 'He was at a height of roughly 1,700m when he lost control and ended up sliding 130ft down the slope before shooting into the air at the side of the ski run. 'He went about 43ft through the air and hit his head against the arm of an artificial snow cannon at full speed. The family, who go skiing every year, were enjoying a holiday in the Austrian resort of Kaprun (pictured) when Aleksander lost control on an advanced black run . 'By chance there was a group of three skiers behind and one of these was a doctor who was able to give emergency CPR to the young man and called for an emergency helicopter. 'But the emergency doctor could only certify that the young man was dead.' Mr r Owens-Thurston's father's calls for safety improvements were echoed by a coroner. West Somerset Coroner Michael Rose spoke out as he opened and adjourned the inquest and urged Britons heading off on skiing holidays during the forthcoming Easter break to wear a helmet. The coroner said the IT worker suffered fractures to his skull 'due to a ski accident where he fell and collided into a snow machine' on February 24 while skiing on a black run. 'After a fall while skiing he possibly fell head on into a snow machine. I have given authorisation for the funeral,' Mr Rose said. 'The deceased was not wearing a helmet. We are coming up soon to the Easter holidays and I would urge anyone to wear a helmet. 'I would urge the Austrian authorities to put padding on the snow machines.' Mr Owens-Thurston's family were not present during the brief hearing in Taunton today and his funeral is due to take place in the Somerset town tomorrow.
2014 . Aleksander Owens-Thurston, 23, flew 43ft through the air and crashed into a metal girder . crashing into a metal girder supporting a snow . at the Austrian resort of Kaprun when the condemned safety measures at the resort. 'When