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Michael Schumacher in critical state after injuring head in skiing accident Michael Schumacher in critical state after injuring head in skiing accident
(35 minutes later)
Formula One great Michael Schumacher has been undergoing medical tests after being airlifted to hospital in Grenoble with head injuries sustained in an off-piste skiing accident at a chic resort in the French Alps. Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is fighting for his life in hospital after sustaining serious head injuries in an off-piste skiing accident at a resort in the French Alps on Sunday morning.
Jean-Marc Grenier, a spokeman for the hospital, read a statement on Sunday night which had been agreed with Schumacher's family. Schumacher, 44, was airlifted to Grenoble after falling heavily and hitting his head while skiing on the unmarked slope at the Méribel resort with a group of friends and his 14-year-old son.
"Mr Schumacher was admitted to Grenoble hospital at 12.40pm following a skiing accident in Meribel twoards the end of the morning. On his arrival, he was suffering from severe head trauma, with a coma, which required immediate neurosurgical intervention. He remains in a critical state." After hours of silence which raised worldwide concerns about the seven-time former world champion's condition, the Grenoble hospital issued a statement on Sunday night describing his state as "critical". He was in a coma on arrival at the hospital suffering from "severe brain trauma" and had undergone surgery, the statement said. French media reports said that Schumacher, whose family is at his bedside, had also had a brain haemorrhage.
The Grenoble-based newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré said that, according to unnamed sources, the retired world champion's injuries had worsened and were now "life threatening". Other French media reported that he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. The hospital statement was issued more than three hours after the Grenoble-based newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré reported that Schumacher's injuries had worsened and were now "life threatening".
Top brain surgeon Gérard Saillant arrived at the hospital from Paris to attend to Schumacher, who had been wearing a helmet when he fell on his head on the unmarked slope at the Méribel resort on Sunday morning. Saillant is a family friend who had treated Schumacher following an accident at Silverstone in 1999. A top brain surgeon from Paris, Gérard Saillant, rushed to the hospital to attend to the former grand prix driver. Saillant, an expert in brain and spine injury, is a close friend of Schumacher, having operated on him when he broke his leg at Silverstone in 1999.
A passing skier raised the alarm within minutes of the accident, said Olivier Simonin, director of Méribel Alpina, who is in charge of security and ski lifts at the site. "The skier alerted mountain rescue just a few hundred metres below where he fell," Simonin said. Radio Monte Carlo reported that doctors would provide an update on Schumacher's condition at a press conference at the hospital at 10am GMT on Monday.
Two rescuers had gone to the scene, where Schumacher had been skiing with his 14-year-old son, and called in two others to help evacuate the injured sportsman, he added. Schumacher remained conscious after the accident. A skier with Schumacher's group raised the alarm within minutes of the accident which occurred just after 11am in bright and sunny weather. "The skier alerted mountain rescue just a few hundred metres below where he fell," said the director of Méribel Alpina, Olivier Simonin, in charge of security and skilifts at the site. Two rescuers arrived quickly at the scene and called in two others to help evacuate Schumacher who had been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Schumacher remained conscious after the fall and was initially helicoptered to the nearest hospital at Moûtiers. But doctors had then him flown to Grenoble, which has a specialised trauma unit.
Simonin said it was not known whether Schumacher hit his head on a rock. "All we know is that he hit his head," he said.Simonin said it was not known whether Schumacher hit his head on a rock. "All we know is that he hit his head," he said.
Schumacher's spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm, issued a brief statement confirming the accident and that nobody else was involved. "Michael fell on his head when he was on a private skiing trip in the French Alps. He was taken to hospital and is receiving professional medical attention. We ask for understanding that we cannot give out continuous information about his health," the statement said. The hospital announcement was the first since a terse statement in the afternoon released by Schumacher's manager, Sabine Kehm. She confirmed the accident and said that nobody else was involved in the fall.
Méribel director Christophe Gernignon-Lecomte told Radio Monte Carlo Schumacher "was in shock, somewhat shaken, but conscious" when he was taken to the nearest hospital, at Moûtiers, before being helicoptered to Grenoble. He also said that Schumacher's head injury was "not serious", but a resort spokesman said later that the Méribel officials were waiting for a fuller medical report. "Michael fell on his head when he was on a private skiing trip in the French Alps. He was taken to hospital and is receiving professional medical attention. We ask for understanding that we cannot give out continuous information about his health," the statement said.
The Dauphiné Libéré, which is generally well informed, reported after his transfer to Grenoble that Schumacher was suffering from a "severe brain trauma" but that his injuries were "not life threatening". But that prognosis changed during the day. Méribel director Christophe Gernignon-Lecomte had earlier described Schumacher as being "in shock, somewhat shaken, but conscious" when the emergency rescue team reached him. He also said that Schumacher's head injury was "not serious", but a resort spokesman said later that the Méribel officials were waiting for a more comprehensive medical report.
The Grenoble hospital specialises in skiing-related accidents. A small number of Schumacher fans gathered outside the hospital as they waited in vain for news. Olivier Panis, a former Formula 1 driver from Grenoble, was unable to visit Schumacher. French media said in the afternoon that the sportsman's cranial trauma was not life-threatening. However, by early evening, that prognosis changed, and Formula One champions such as Felipe Massa said they were praying for Schumacher. Some French fans of Schumacher gathered in the afternoon outside the hospital, as they waited in vain for news. Olivier Panis, a former Formula 1 driver from Grenoble, came to the hospital twice during the day but was unable to see the German driver.
Schumacher was skiing in clear and sunny conditions close to one of the resort's most difficult pistes in the Three Valleys, enjoyed by the world's most accomplished skiers, when he fell. Méribel, where the former champion owns a chalet, is one of the top ski resorts in the French Alps. When he fell, Schumacher was skiing close to one of the chic resort's most difficult pistes in the Three Valleys enjoyed by the world's most accomplished skiers. Méribel, where the Swiss-based former champion owns a chalet, is one of the top ski resorts in the French Alps.
He was ski-ing off piste between the pistes La Biche and the more difficult runs of Mauduit, named after former French ski-ing champion George Mauduit. The slope, devoid of trees, where he and his son were skiing, is at an altitude of 2,100 metres is close to the luxury resort of Courchevel. The pair were about 20 metres away from the marked slope when Schumacher tumbled, according to Simonin. He was skiing off-piste between the pistes La Biche and the more difficult runs of Mauduit, named after the former French skiing champion George Mauduit. The slope, devoid of trees, where he and his son were skiing, is at an altitude of 2,100 metres, close to the luxury resort of Courchevel. The pair were about 20 metres away from the marked slope when Schumacher tumbled, according to Simonin.
Sunday's weather in Méribel was clear and sunny, although resort spokesman Julien Clatot said that there was a "very high" risk of avalanches because of heavy snowfall over the last two days. Like other Alpine resorts, Méribel discourages off-piste skiing, which should not be undertaken without a guide.
Schumacher retired for the final time in 2012 after a three-season Formula One comeback with Mercedes. He was seven times Formula One world champion. His 45th birthday is on Friday.
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