The fateful skiing accident: the record of the Schumacher tragedy

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The ominous spot in the Meribel ski area doesn’t look spectacular at all. Yet this inconspicuous place, a few square meters of unprepared snow between the two ski slopes Biche (blue) and Chamois (red), changes the lives of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher (54) and his family from one second to the next.

In this part of the slope there are a few boulders covered in snow. On the fateful December 29, 2013, between 11 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., Schumi fell so heavily that he hit the right side of his head on a rock. As the accident investigation would later reveal, the F1 legend traveled at a slow pace. The German is on the slopes that day with a group of friends. Son Mick (now 24) is also there; the Schumachers own a chalet in the ski area.

Injuries too serious for regional hospital

The first rescue worked perfectly; four rescuers arrived on the scene ten minutes after the alarm went off. They immediately recognize the former racing driver and the seriousness of the situation; Schumi is in the rescue helicopter just 23 minutes after the alarm. Immediately after the crash, Schumacher was apparently confused but still responsive.

But in the Albertville-Moutiers hospital it soon becomes clear that the injuries are even more serious than expected. The fallen man was taken to the clinic in Grenoble; Schumacher arrived there at 12:40 p.m. He is now in a coma with a traumatic brain injury and the injuries are life-threatening. His helmet broke when he fell; without the head protection the consequences would have been even more serious.

Now the first information is leaking to the public. One of the most famous people in the world is in a coma – the world is shocked. The hospital in Grenoble was in a state of emergency in the following days. Hundreds of fans are rooting for their idol on the spot. Companions such as brother Ralf Schumacher or ex-Ferrari colleagues Ross Brawn and Jean Todt rush to intensive care.

Schumacher underwent emergency surgery twice and remained in critical condition for days. There are press conferences by doctors, but there is never any information about the exact state of health. The media still reports non-stop from France.

Suicide in Zurich after file theft and attempted sale

The investigation into the accident was completed on February 17, 2014: no foul play, no technical problem with the equipment, no excessive speed. Investigators say Schumacher was thrown into the air while driving over a snow-covered rock and landed upside down on another rock when he landed.

But how he is doing remains unclear. On March 8, 2014, a journalist disguised as a priest allegedly tried to enter Schumi’s room at the hospital.

On June 16, 2014, he was brought from Grenoble to his adopted home country of Switzerland. Schumi is no longer in an induced coma. He goes to a rehabilitation department at the Lausanne University Hospital. Rega provided the transport. On July 8, the air rescue service filed a complaint against unknown persons.

During transport, Schumi’s medical data was stolen and offered for sale to various media. On August 5, 2014, a Rega director was arrested on the outrageous suspicion that he had stolen the file and offered it for 60,000 francs. A day later he was found hanging in the Zurich police prison.

Protected care at home in French-speaking Switzerland

In September 2014, the F1 legend returns to his home in Gland VD. A corresponding portion of his remote estate was converted into a nursing station. It will be the last time the family says anything for a long time: “He has made progress in recent weeks and months commensurate with the severity of his injuries, but he still has a long and difficult road ahead of him.” said at the time.

And despite hints from Corinna and Mick in the Netflix documentary ‘Schumacher’ in 2021, ten years after the skiing accident, it is still a secret how the seven-time world champion is really doing.

Source : Blick