Heartbroken wife pays tribute to British skier, 34, who plunged 80ft to his death in the French Alps
A grieving wife has paid tribute to her late husband who plummeted to his death after taking his skis off on top of a cliff in the French Alps.
Mike Rowell, 34, was traversing an off-piste section at the French ski resort of Chamonix near Mont Blanc when he died in the ‘desperately tragic accident’ earlier this year.
Mr Rowell, a chartered accountant, was skiing with his friend Niall Jones when they ran out of ski tracks and stopped on March 12 this year. While searching for a safe route down, Mr Rowell vanished and is believed to have fallen 80ft to his death.
The pair were skiing between red and black runs, which are colour coordinated to determine difficulty, when they stopped to find a way down. Mr Jones turned to walk back up the hill and when he returned, he found a single ski in the snow and no sign of his friend.
It was determined Mr Rowell had died instantly after falling.
His wife, Helen Rowell, 34, has paid tribute to the ‘devoted father, husband and friend’ and spoken about the support group his passing inspired her to set up to help bereaved families in their local area in Farnborough, Hampshire.
Mr Rowell’s wife, Helen Rowell, 34, has paid tribute to the ‘devoted father, husband and friend’ (pictured together with their son Alfie, aged 4)
Mike Rowell, 34, was traversing an off-piste section at the French ski resort of Chamonix near Mont Blanc when he died in the ‘desperately tragic accident’ earlier this year
Mike Rowell was traversing an off-piste section at the world-renowned French resort of Chamonix near Mont Blanc when he died in the ‘desperately tragic accident’ in March
The pair met just before their 20th birthdays when they studied at the University of Durham. They lived in London for several years before moving to Hampshire where they raised their son, Alfie, aged 4.
‘When somebody dies, I always think it’s easy to place them on a pedestal and forget their flaws,’ Mrs Rowell said. ‘Mike was to me, perfectly imperfect.
‘I think when you fall in love with someone you do so for every bit of them, and Mike and I loved one another deeply including one another’s shortcomings.
‘As a person Mike was consistently kind, calm and warm. He was in no way preoccupied with status, and had a great way of knowing what was worth his time and focus and left everyone else to worry about the rest.
‘As a result, he had a great work life balance that allowed him to be professionally fulfilled whilst finding space in his life for the things he enjoyed.
‘He was a keen golfer and loved nothing more than 18 holes followed by a BBQ at home with family and friends. It’s fair to play he worked hard and played hard, and was a devoted father, husband and friend.
‘He was deeply popular and described as the centre of gravity for the many groups he brought together. Together, we built an amazing life.’
Following Mr Rowell’s death, Helen launched a support group, called Brightest Stars, which aims to help parents in the local area who are similarly bereaved, and offer help to their children too.
The pair met just before their 20th birthdays when they studied at the University of Durham. They lived in London for several years before moving to Hampshire to raise their family
Helen has launched a support group, called Brightest Stars, which aims to help parents in the local area who are similarly bereaved, and offer help to their children too.
The group meet monthly at St Peter’s Church Parish Centre, and provide toys and activities for children, while giving parents space to connect with others who understand what they are going through.
The sessions are aimed at those who have lost a parents or sibling up to the age of 10.
The community project currently relies on donations, which are put towards activities and toys for children, vital counselling services and trips out for families.
‘Life without Mike is an ongoing journey of self discovery for me,’ Mrs Rowell added.
‘My priority has of course been our four-year-old son – making sure that he is supported and able to express himself in such a way that he can help me understand how he is feeling.
‘I was struck by the lack of support in our local area for me to meet parents in the same position, and likewise for children. In the darkest of times I have been determined to find some chinks of light and therefore it’s been a bittersweet project to found Brightest Stars.
‘This is a face to face support group for bereaved children and parents. We aim to provide a safe, informal environment for both demographics to meet one another, take day trips out as well as access to vital resources such as counselling and literature and tools to help our members process their grief.
Helen said she was struck by how little support their was in the community for her and her son (pictured) after Mr Rowell died
‘Mike died sadly not knowing the profound impact he had on so many people – a legacy he knew absolutely nothing about.
‘As his wife I have felt Brightest Stars is a fitting tribute to him and a way to find something positive from an unimaginably sad situation.’
An inquest into Mr Rowell’s death earlier this week recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Coroner for Hampshire, Jason Pegg said: ‘Mr Rowell and Mr Jones lost the ski tracks they were following on an off-piste section,’ Mr Pegg said.
‘They stopped to re-assess and Mike moved forward to see if there was another run. They decided to turn back and Mr Jones back up the hill having removed his skis.
‘Mike slipped in the process of removing his skis and slipped down over an edge, falling from a significant height.
‘He suffered numerous fatal injuries in what was a desperately tragic accident. He simply misjudged the area where he was.’
