A 17-YEAR-OLD girl is fighting for her life after tragedy struck on a school skiing trip.

Nicola Smales was left in a coma when she fell as she made her way down slopes.

The freak accident happened on the last descent of the holiday, on Friday, in the Austrian resort of Treffen.

Nicola was among 37 sixth form students and four staff on the Alps trip from St Joseph's School, in Hebburn, South Tyneside.

It is understood she hit a patch of ice and tumbled, causing head injuries. She was airlifted to hospital in Klagenfurt, where her condition was described last night as very serious.

Her parents have flown to the resort and are keeping a bedside vigil.

Early reports from Austria suggest Nicola had skied the slope several times and was with a qualified instructor.

Joe Campbell, headteacher of St Joseph's, said: "Staff and pupils are traumatised by news of the accident. There was a special assembly in school yesterday and a mass will be held."

The rest of the students and staff returned home as scheduled at the weekend.

Barbara Hughes, South Tyneside's director for lifelong learning and leisure, said: "This appears to have been a terrible freak accident."