r45 4 Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Wearing a helmet, serious condition Michael Schumacher, seven-time Formula 1 world champion, is in a "critical condition" after a skiing accident, says the French hospital at which he is being treated. The 44-year-old German "was suffering a serious brain trauma with coma on his arrival" the hospital in the south-east city of Grenoble said in a statement. Schumacher's management confirmed his critical condition, reports said. He was skiing off-piste with his son in the Alps when the accident occurred. Schumacher was wearing a helmet when he fell and hit his head against a rock, Meribel resort director Christophe Gernignon-Lecomte said earlier. Early reports had said his condition was not life-threatening. Mr Gernignon-Lecomte said Schumacher was conscious when he was attended to by two ski patrollers who requested helicopter evacuation to the nearby valley town of Moutiers. He was subsequently moved to the bigger facility at Grenoble. His wife Corinna and children are with him. The German, who is due to turn 45 on 3 January, retired from F1 for a second time in 2012. Professor Gerard Saillant, a close ally and friend of Schumacher, and his former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt are at the hospital. Prof Saillant is an expert in brain and spine injury. He oversaw Schumacher's medical care when the German broke his leg in the 1999 British GP. The hospital statement was signed by the facility's neurosurgeon, the professor in charge of its anaesthesia/revival unit, and the hospital's deputy director, said AFP news agency. Schumacher won seven world championships and secured 91 race victories during a 19-year career in Formula 1. He won two titles with Benetton, in 1994 and 1995, before switching to Ferrari in 1996 and going on to win five straight titles from 2000. The German retired in 2006, but returned in 2010 with Mercedes. After three seasons which yielded just one podium finish, he quit the sport at the end of 2012. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 wow......I guess you could say though that his helmet has given him a fighting chance.....without it it sounds like he'd be dead already. Been thinking about getting a helmet recently. People who wear helmets, would you say that it helps prevent fogging on your goggles? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 I reckon the only people who appear to be hitting their heads are those that wear helmets! Those things are dangerous!! Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Sounds like he would definitely be dead by now if he wasn't wearing. I don't wear googles, Tubby, but my helmet's most useful purpose is keeping my ears warm. They get so cold! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 I guess it helps that you only go out on bluebird days Actually I've been wearing sunglasses a fair bit recently as I'm having significant fogging problems.....hence my query. I think it may be the beanie I'm wearing......it gets really hot. Helmets have vents which would allow some heat to escape Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 I haven't noticed any difference in fogging with or without the helmet. I eliminated my fogging by pulling my balaclava down so I wasnt exhaling into the goggles Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Sad accident. As a parent I keep thinking about the effect it had/will have on his 14 yr old son who was with him at the time. In the last week I've been informed that one of the 12 boys in my youngest's team (that I manage) is in hospital in an induced coma with a head injury after falling out of a tree, another broke his leg on a wave simulator, a friends family skiing in the US are returning home with one broken wrist and one broken finger. The ambulance is in and out of the village here all day long. And my kids think they are too cool for helmets. I think it's pretty clear you can injure yourself doing pretty much anything. Snow sports are pretty risky in the injury regard. And helmets can give you a fighting chance if you were to hit your head. FWIW Tubby I wear a helmet, and have more of a problem with my sunnies fogging up than my goggles (which are pink low light lenses and only worn when I can't wear the sunnies). Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Yeah it sounds pretty nasty and in front of his son adds another element. Fingers crossed for him. Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Wow that is sad news. I think helmets help for sure. Many years ago I crashed my motorcycle and head butted the ground at 70mph knocked myself unconcious for about 30 seconds but other wise was ok except for some heavy bruising on my hip anf leg. If I had not have warn a helmet I am fairly sure I would not have been here today. I am sure helmets help which is why I bought one you just never know and to me image is not important safety and comfort is. Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 I guess it helps that you only go out on bluebird days Actually I've been wearing sunglasses a fair bit recently as I'm having significant fogging problems.....hence my query. I think it may be the beanie I'm wearing......it gets really hot. Helmets have vents which would allow some heat to escape If you cover your nose with a scarf or balaclaver or what ever your goggles will mist up regardless. Not sure if you are doing that though？ Link to post Share on other sites
Dunga 1 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Watched the crash reel the other day, even the best riders have accidents and helmets help. Link to post Share on other sites
@tokyo 14 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 He is of course just another person (and the public persona of one I didn't particularly like) but of course terrible news. It will probably bring the helmet and safety issues out to be discussed again though. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Get well soon Schumi. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 He is of course just another person (and the public persona of one I didn't particularly like) but of course terrible news.It will probably bring the helmet and safety issues out to be discussed again though. nothing wrong with discussion.The conclusions will probably be the same, but there's always someone new to the sport reading it for the first time Link to post Share on other sites
JellyBelly 1 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Yesterday a spokesman for the resort said it proved 'you can't do whatever you want', and that skiers should stay on the pistes. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 I guess it helps that you only go out on bluebird days Actually I've been wearing sunglasses a fair bit recently as I'm having significant fogging problems.....hence my query. I think it may be the beanie I'm wearing......it gets really hot. Helmets have vents which would allow some heat to escape If you cover your nose with a scarf or balaclaver or what ever your goggles will mist up regardless. Not sure if you are doing that though？ No I'm not doing that. It was fogging between the lenses, which shouldn't happen in a brand new pair.....I've since used them twice and it's not happened. I think what it was was that I didn't take em out the bag and dry them properly before using em again....I dried them thoroughly over 2 days and that seems to have fixed it. I've since used them twice and it's not happened. Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 cool foggy goggles are bad news especially with trees around Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Back to Shumi, it was clear and sunny when he was out skiing. Link to post Share on other sites
gvm3373 4 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Hey, could have happened to anyone, helmet no helmet , clear goggles foggy goggles , groomers powder, It was an accident, hope he gets better. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 'He's a fighter', thats for sure. Just how much that cliche will matter in this instance, one can only guess. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Hey, could have happened to anyone, helmet no helmet , clear goggles foggy goggles , groomers powder, It was an accident, hope he gets better. Which is why this statement surprises me... Yesterday a spokesman for the resort said it proved 'you can't do whatever you want', and that skiers should stay on the pistes. Personally I've been avoiding the piste the last couple of days because it is soooo busy, soooo many people not really in control, so many not really aware of their surroundings. You've more chance of being hit and going down badly on a crowded piste than off in some side country that's within your technical ability, out there with a handful of others also being aware and skiing within their ability... It was an accident. A sad accident. Not sure it could've been avoided. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Foggy goggles had nothing to do with it.....that was my addition Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 He's supposed to be a pretty good skier. And he sure has a competitive spirit and push himself. Can't see him wanting to ski slowly and like a blouse. Even though he has probably worn a blouse, so bad is his fashion sense. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Wearing a helmet may have “minimised the severity” of injury suffered by racing driver Michael Schumacher following his skiing accident in France, a leading surgeon has said. But the immediate neurosurgical treatment given to the seven-time F1 champion "suggests that something very serious has happened", he added. Chris Chandler, consultant neurosurgeon at King's College Hospital in London, told Sky News: "Certainly after blunt trauma, which is what you would term his injury, the brain does swell and that swelling contained within the rigid box of the skull can cause dangerous pressure on the vital structure to the brain. "That brain swelling needs to be controlled. "The fact that he was wearing a helmet simply means that it has minimised the severity of the injury but still it is possible to sustain a serious injury even with the helmet." Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 very sad to hear this news. C'mon Schumi, you can do it. Link to post Share on other sites
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