A LEADING member of the Worcestershire-Gloucestershire border farming community underwent a third operation in Canada on Tuesday after being seriously injured in a skiing tragedy which claimed the life of his friend.

Richard Beldam, aged 50, of East Lodge Farm, Stanton, suffered a broken left leg, fractured pelvis and hip and a broken left arm when an avalanche overwhelmed members of his skiing party in the Monashee Mountains, British Colombia.

Robert Usborne, aged 46, was killed in the accident, around 100 kilometres north of Revelstoke. Two other skiers caught in the avalanche escaped with minor injuries.

Mr Beldam was taken to the intensive care unit of Kelowna General Hospital. The avalanche happened during his first day's skiing, on February 18, two days after jetting out on the Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) heli-skiing trip, in which skiers are dropped off on the mountain by helicopter.

He was described as an experienced skier by his secretary at East Lodge Farm, who asked not to be named.

She said that Mr Beldam had been going skiing for several years with his friends. The party was 11-strong on this occasion.

His wife, Julia, was not with the group but has since flown out to Canada to be at his bedside. They have two children.

His secretary said of the avalanche: "It was just a freak: one of those things that happen."

She added that it was hoped Mr Beldam would be able to return to the UK within the next two weeks.

His latest operation - on his leg - had gone well, she said

According to a report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Mr Usborne had fallen and another skier went to help him, causing unstable snow to loosen, triggering the avalanche.

The Costello run, where the accident happened, was closed following the tragedy, although other CMH tours in the Monashees range were continuing.

Mr Beldam is the first chairman of Centaur Grain and was chairman of Group Cereals before its merger with Lingrain that formed Centaur.

He farms 3,000 arable acres, of which he owns 1,100. He share farms the remainder.

He is vice-chairman of Countrywide Farmers plc, an NFU-nominated member of British Cereal Exports and a director of the Arable Research Institute.

Mr Beldam was in the news two years ago when his farm was used to trial genetically modified oilseed rape, sparking demonstrations by anti-GM protesters.