Michael Schumacher ski accident, in critical condition

[Thanas]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/d ... g-accident

Michael Schumacher in critical state after injuring head in skiing accident

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.

Jean-Marc Grenier, a spokeman for the hospital, read a statement on Sunday night which had been agreed with Schumacher's family.

"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."

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.

Spiegel also reports that Schumacher "fights for his life".

[Napoleon the Clown]

I remember when Sony Bono (for those who don't know who he was, he went into Congress after a career as an entertainer, most notably as part of Sony and Cher) crashed into a tree while skiing end died from it...

Here's hoping Shumacher fairs better and doesn't end up having really severe brain damage. I can't see there being none, considering it put him in a coma and he needed emergency surgery, but hopefully it ends up having minimal effect on quality of life.

[Broomstick]

A lot of time post-head trauma surgery is done to either relieve pressure inside the skull or to install monitoring equipment. Properly done, it can minimize the damage.

Of course, "minimized damage" can still leave you with some nasty impairments. A few years back one of my nephews suffered head trauma, medical coma, etc. He's walking and talking, better than expected recovery, but... he's not the same, and not as functional. I fear for his future.

I do wish Mr. Schumacher and his family the best.

[Thanas]

I remember when Sony Bono (for those who don't know who he was, he went into Congress after a career as an entertainer, most notably as part of Sony and Cher) crashed into a tree while skiing end died from it...

Some reports say he crashed head first into a rock.

[atg]

Never really liked him during the height of his career because of the incidents with Hill and Villeneuve, but after recently re-watching some races from that time all I can say is damm he was a good driver. Everything I've read is that he is a really down-to-earth and nice person.

Hope he comes out from this OK.

[atg]

Press conference on Schumacher’s condition to be held on Monday morning at 10am UK time in Grenoble.

A former F1 Doc is also explaining things on twitter: https://twitter.com/former_f1doc

[FSTargetDrone]

I remember when Sony Bono (for those who don't know who he was, he went into Congress after a career as an entertainer, most notably as part of Sony and Cher) crashed into a tree while skiing end died from it...

Here's hoping Shumacher fairs better and doesn't end up having really severe brain damage. I can't see there being none, considering it put him in a coma and he needed emergency surgery, but hopefully it ends up having minimal effect on quality of life.

More recently, in 2009, Liam Neeson's wife and fellow actor Natasha Richardson died 2 days after a skiing accident. She was not wearing a helmet, walking and talking after the impact, but then succumbed to epidural hematoma.

These kinds of head injuries are no joke. Schumacher may yet be saved because he actually received aid sooner than Richardson did. Plus, the helmet.

[atg]

Some things from the press conference:

Professor Jean-Francois Payen added: "I'd say this accident happened in the right place because he was taken into hospital immediately and operated on as soon as he arrived, this meant his state is critical and he is still in a coma and he will be kept in a coma.
"Everything that needed to be done has been done at the moment we can't really say when he will recover, we cannot answer this yet."

"We think his helmet did help, without a helmet he wouldn't be here now."

"We are in constant contact with his family that are by his bedside. At this moment we don't see he is going to need a second operation."

"The helmet wasn't enough to protect him completely but it really did help. We see a lot of head injuries like this."

"What we observed initially was an impact to the right side of the head. He was agitated when he came in. He had some spontaneous movements and wasn't in a normal state when he came in."

The news conference has now come to a close, with doctors saying they hope to be able to give a further update later today.

[Crown]

Never really liked him during the height of his career because of the incidents with Hill and Villeneuve, but after recently re-watching some races from that time all I can say is damm he was a good driver. Everything I've read is that he is a really down-to-earth and nice person.

Hope he comes out from this OK.

It's funny how people respond differently to the same stimuli, but those were the reasons I loved Schumacher at the peak of his dominance.

Hope he has a speedy recovery.

[Thanas]

His drives in Ferrari were a thing of beaty not matched by anybody yet (not even Vettel). His qualifying laps were just breathtaking, always so perfect yet so close to the edge...

[Broomstick]

I just hope he recovers fully, or at least enough to have decent quality of life. I'd hate this to be a situation where a helmet preserved life but not function.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Holy shit, I just heard about this. Apparently, were it not for his helmet he'd have died there and then. For a second I thought, wait, the Michael Schumacher? The 7-time world champion?

I never had a problem with him per se, I just hated Ferrari. Indeed, when he came back and drove for Mercedes I wanted to see him beating them- shame they didn't give him a car that was up to the task. Here's hoping it's not as bad as the reports suggest.

The only driver that Michael ever feared was Mika Hakkinen, he was the only one capable of beating him.

[Thanas]

According to further news, the impact was so bad that his helmet shattered.

[Siege]

That sounds awful, but I think it's also exactly what crash helmets are supposed to do: fracture in order to absorb the energy of the impact that would otherwise have messed up your skull. In this case it still did, but then they're saying he'd have been dead without his helmet for a reason.

[atg]

Some improvement:

Former motor racing champion Michael Schumacher's condition has improved slightly after an operation to relieve pressure on his brain, his doctors have said.

A new scan taken overnight showed signs that he was "better than yesterday", but he was still "not out of danger", doctors said.

The seven-time Formula 1 champion suffered head injuries on Sunday in a skiing accident in the French Alps.

He was put in a medically-induced coma.

An initial scan on Monday night showed "an improved situation" and indicated a window of opportunity for a second operation, doctors said.

The family took the "difficult decision" to give consent for the procedure, and doctors operated on Schumacher for about two hours.

A subsequent scan revealed a "slight improvement".

"We can't say he is out of danger but... we have gained a bit of time,'' said Dr Jean-Francois Payen. "The coming hours are crucial."

"But all the family is very much aware that his state is still sensitive and anything can happen."

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Fingers crossed. I can't help but be reminded of an accident that Massa was in a few years back when a 1kg spring broke loose from Barrichello's car and hit his head at something like 170mph, sending him into the barrier. His helmet too was smashed up and he ended up with a metal plate in his head- when you look at pictures of him you can see four small circles above his left eye.

[Purple]

Any news?

[Thanas]

Still critical.

[NeoGoomba]

Why couldn't it have been Joel Schumacher?!!?!

[Zaune]

That's... not in the best of taste.

[Flagg]

That's... not in the best of taste.

Better than calling him a tree hugger, which I would never do. Except when I called Sonny Bono that. I think I may be a bad person.

[NeoGoomba]

One year my fantasy football team name was the Sunny Bono Memorial Ski team. The year before that I was the John Denver Express.

Yep. Save me a seat in the inferno, Flagg?

[Thanas]

Quit posturing, you two.

[Korgeta]

News was a bombshell but even though some people say he was bad for F1 because he kept winning, I say he was great because of it, but I hope he makes a recovery, if so it will be a slow one no escaping that.

Or as Top Gear sometimes say 'the Stig will be back'