Medical Student Tom Donaldson was killed while sandboarding down a steep hill in New Zealand known locally as “suicide hill”.
The 23-year-old from Duffield, Derbyshire who had recently passed his medical exams was attempting the sport for the first time when he lost control and slammed into the sea, an inquest was told.
Donaldson was on holiday with when he decided to try the extreme sport while visiting Omapere north of Auckland.
He was airlifted to Auckland City hospital but died nine days later.
In a statement read out at the inquest in Derby, Mrs Donaldson said: “I have been told that Tom was sand-boarding in an area which he had been advised not to.
“But he was young and naive. He had never attempted sand-boarding and was with friends experienced in sand-boarding.
“He was in no way a daredevil. He must have felt safe, otherwise he would not have followed them down the slope.
“The consequences of that were fatal.”
She added: “We feel more needs to be done to warn others of the dangers involved in sand-boarding.
“If people were truly aware of the serious risks they were putting themselves in, then they would remain on regulated slopes.”
Authorities in New Zealand pledged to look at how extreme sports were run in the country in light of Mr Donaldson’s death.
