Mersey teacher killed in whitewater tragedy

Aug 1 2007 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

A MERSEYSIDE PE teacher has been killed in a whitewater rafting accident while on a school trip in Australia.

Ian Robinson, head of rugby at Merchant Taylors' boys’ school in Crosby, was on a sporting tour with students when he died during the adventure excursion.

The accident, at 12.30pm local time, happened while Mr Robinson was whitewater rafting with pupils on the Tully River, near Cairns, in Queensland. His foot became trapped after the raft he was in capsized.

Those who knew Mr Robinson last night paid tribute to a “quiet and considerate person” who had an adventurous spirit, and was well liked by pupils and colleagues.

Former Liverpool St Helens rugby union player Mr Robinson joined the school in 1984, when former England rugby union winger Mike Slemen was head of PE at the school. Together they nurtured talent including that of England rugby forward Ben Kay.

No other participants were injured in the tragedy but students on the trip and those accompanying them were last night said to be in shock.

Students are being counselled by professionals and will be flown back to the UK earlier than originally planned. Parents of the 24 boys on the trip, all aged between 15 and 17, were last night being notified.

Southport MP John Pugh, who was formerly a philosophy and religious education teacher at Merchant Taylor’s Boys, remembered working with Mr Robinson from 2001.

“Ian was a very quiet and gentle, considerate person but also a lot of fun, and a very good and respected teacher.

“I’m shocked as indeed the boys and the teachers at Merchants will be tonight. He was one of those people who you could say wouldn’t have an enemy in the world.

“He was very fit and active, and had an adventurous spirit. He will be sadly missed by al who knew him.”

Mr Robinson lived in St Helens with his wife and was an ardent support of the town’s rugby league side.

Merchant Taylors’ Boys school headmaster David Cook also paid tribute, he said: “Ian Robinson had taught at Merchant Taylors’ since 1984 and was very popular with staff and boys alike.

“He was an immensely hard-working and caring professional.

“Over a generation of boys have benefited from his teaching and care. He will be very much missed and very fondly remembered.

“Everyone involved at Merchants is very sad and shocked. Our heartfelt sympathy is with Mr Robinson's wife and family.”

Mr Robinson, who was in his 40s, taught at the school for 18 years and originally hailed from Cumbria.

As well as his position as head of rugby within the senior boys’ school he was deputy head of the lower school.

He had been on numerous school trips with the school to France, Italy, Holland, Canada and South Africa. He also took the students on skiing trips.

The three-week tour to Australia involved a series of games with local teams in the Brisbane, Sydney and Darwin regions, plus a range of leisure-time activities including surfing, visiting a koala sanctuary and white-water rafting.

Sports tours are an annual feature of school life at the Merchant Taylors’ Schools, with two or three operating each year and the school said no previous accidents had ever occurred.

lizawilliams