Daredevil Briton, 72, dies in front of his family after crashing his toboggan on the notorious Cresta Run in Switzerland

Ralph Hubbard broke his neck when he careered off the track at a sharp bend
He was a member of the famous St Moritz Tobogganing and Bobsled Club
Mr Hubbard, a 'Top Rider', had completed the run more than 200 times
He is the fifth rider to die since the first Cresta Run in 1885

Published: 22:02 GMT, 4 March 2017 | Updated: 22:02 GMT, 4 March 2017

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A ‘fearless’ 72-year-old British man has died after crashing as he tobogganed down the notorious Cresta Run in Switzerland – while his family watched.

Ralph Hubbard, who had completed the run more than 200 times, broke his neck when he careered off the track at a sharp bend known as The Shuttlecock.

It is believed that he was riding an old-fashioned heavy sled rather than a modern lightweight carbon design when he crashed, and that it may have struck him on the head.

He is the fifth rider to die since the first Cresta Run in 1885.

Ralph Hubbard (right), pictured at St Moritz with his good friend Anthony Snook as he was waiting to ride the Cresta Run

Mr Hubbard was a member of the famous St Moritz Tobogganing and Bobsled Club and was considered a ‘Top Rider’, meaning he was allowed to start from the very top of the run, an achievement riders must qualify for each year.

The racer, whose three children and partner were watching when he crashed, died in hospital after spending a week in a coma.

Police are using footage of the crash to investigate his death.

Gary Lowe, secretary of the club, said: ‘We knew as soon as Ralph crashed that it was serious.

‘We called an ambulance and helicopter immediately.

‘Ralph was great. He was very fun-loving. A lot of members have known him for a long time. When you lose a friend like this, it’s very sad. We are a very private club.’

Fellow member Sir Torquil Norman, the arts philanthropist, said: ‘He was a very good friend and was fearless, unfortunately.

‘I’m afraid something in the Cresta must have caught him out.’

A family friend said: ‘He absolutely loved riding the Cresta – he had so many friends there and had been doing it for years. He was wearing a helmet, a back protector and was very switched on to the dangers. He was a careful rider.’

Ralph Hubbard, pictured left, at St Moritz with his toboggan, preparing for a run down the Crest Run, right

The Cresta Run, in the glamorous ski village of St Moritz, is the world’s oldest toboggan run and the only one made of natural ice.

Individual riders hurtle down the three-quarter mile track head-first, using rakes on the end of special boots to brake and steer at speeds of up to 82mph. Shuttlecock Corner is so notorious that people who come off there automatically become members of Shuttlecock Club and are entitled to wear a Shuttlecock tie. It has a ‘bail out’ area with safety barriers for racers who are travelling too fast.

The event is described as ‘the last bastion of amateur sport’ and is the only toboggan run in the world devoted to head-first sledding.

Mr Hubbard was last night described as ‘someone who lived life to the full’. He was also an aerobatic pilot and a member of The Royal Air Squadron, a prestigious flying club of 100 members, who include Prince Charles, Prince Philip and Prince Michael. Sir Torquil said: ‘He was a very active member of the air squadron, he flew into most of our meetings.

‘We’ve flown together to lots of places and he was a superb pilot.’

Mr Hubbard was riding in the annual Marsden Challenge Cup on the Cresta Run when he crashed on February 15.

The former jeweller, from Alderney in the Channel Islands, had been on holiday with his partner, artist Susie Whitcombe, and two sons and a daughter from a previous marriage.