I hope Schumacher makes it

There was a post on facebook today saying that he is now stable. Good news so far but I wonder if he will have all the problems James Cracknell has had.

I heard today that he went to the help of a young woman who had fallen and for that reason left the piste, and also when he crashed or stumbled his ski- fastening failed to open.
It is obviously not the simple explanation that he was racing altough he wouldn't go slowly doing anything would he?
I can't see him recovering from this and being the same charismatic person. That's now over.

I am not in to car racing, but I do hope he manages to make a reasonable recovery.

Good wishes to him on his 45th birthday.

Hope he sees many more.

I've been organising ski trips for my schools since the 80s- and yes, security was very tight. It has become so complicated with risk assessments, etc, that many teachers have just given up doing so- and the only trips organised by special companies are so expensive and very 'elitists', sadly. I used to organise all sorts of trips, including Youth Hostelling in the UK so kids from financially 'challenged' families could join in, French and German exchanges, etc- but very few of those are still done now due to the risk of being sued. Very sad.

Announced in the Press that they are now looking carefully at the piste security issue and lack of marking of that dangerous area between 2 pistes- directly in the natural ski line coming from over the side. There should have definitely been something blocking the way to that very dangerous area.

When I was 13 I almost got picked for a skiing holiday with the school. I can't imagine that anyone gave much thought to safety at all in those days - I seem to remember a very brief list of equipment we would need.

I heard that the Ferrari fans are organising a vigil outside the hospital so they must have finally forgiven him for going to Mercedes!

Indeed, risk is quite normally assessed on personal knowledge. At my school in the UK, I ran a ski and snowboarding club- taking kids to Snowdome in Tamworth once a week and 1 trip abroad once a year (by bus to cut cost, and organising ski wear hire for same reason). Suddenly, ruled changed with risk assessment etc- and I had to fill in a detailed form every week with so many detail and paying high premium for dangerous activity. I tried to explain that kids taken to Snowdome were taught by a qualified snowboarding instructor- in a group of 4 + me an experienced snowboarder supervising them too- on a slope 30m long- wearing helmets, etc. But no, they would not budge, and treated the activity the same as if we were wild snowboarding off-piste in the Alps, with same premium. I just gave up- it was far too much red tape and added cost- and I could not substitute another student if one was ill- and then spread the cost among the others.

In the meantime kids were off playing rugby and football matches without paying any insurance at all- which to my mind, and that of the doctors I talked to, was far more dangerous. Daft.

As said, there is nothing wrong with controlled speed matched with your level of experience. The resort is as far as I am concerned totally at fault for separating the piste with a rough area in the middle with dangerous rocks. The marking on the photos was done by the newspaper- and there was nothing in situ to mark this. There should have been at least orange tape across- or crossed stricks with a warning- as is the norm in ski resorts with danger zones.

Any news?

As a non skier that's really interesting granjura to the uninitiated it all just seems horribly dangerous, but obviously if you are experienced and understand the risks it the whole picture changes.

Well yes- but as a very experienced skiier (60+ years)- I'd say coming over the crest at speed (and yes, experienced skiier do ski fast- I do- without being reckless) he would have chosen the natural line in the middle, and NOT seen that that area was unpisted and rocky- before it was too late. The resort should have clearly closed that area with a danger sign and a wide orange tape, as is the norm in such cases.

I agree he was not skating off-piste but pictures I have seen did show a clear boundary around the rocky area between the two runs and he did seem to be travelling very fast when he cut the corner between the two.

Having seen the picture of the scene now- the Press is way out of order to say he was skiing off-piste. He was taking the natural fall line, and would not have noticed that between 2 pistes, there was a rough area with rocks. By the time he got into it- it would have been too late. The resort should have clearly put a danger sign and an orange banner across that area to keep people out- and must be bracing themselves with their lawyers for the law suit that will surely ensue- whatever the outcome.

Richard Hammond recovered very well from his devastating head injury, but if you read his book it gives a very good picture of what it is like for the victim and his wife's chapters described very clearly what the family goes through.
If he does recover it will still be a long, hard road for all of them.

It is not that celebrities tweet, everything I have read shows that Schumacher was widely liked and respected. It is the content of their tweets, all wishing him well and being sure he will recover. The man has severe concussion, concussion so severe it is likely to kill him. Even if he survives he will probably be severely brain damaged. Chirpy tweets (sorry the adjective was unintentional). are inappropriate. At the moment it is the family that should dominate our thoughts, two teenagers and their mother sitting by the bed of a much loved father, knowing how bad things could be, not knowing which is the best outcome, life or death, knowing their lives will never be the same and just hoping and hoping.

News of a slight improvement

www1.skysports.com/f1/news/24191/9095135/doctors-say-michael-schumacher-showing-slight-improvement

My cousin was in an induced coma for 3 weeks after brain injury in a road traffic accident. His family were advised to turn off the life support, as he'd be a 'vegetable' (the exact medical definition, in Australia) if he survived. He survived, had fantastic support from the health service in Oz, learned to walk, talk etc all over again. He was left with (well controlled)epilepsy, sightly impaired speech and short term memory problems. But, he built a very good life with his then girlfriend, they married and had children. He was the stay home parent, whilst his wife worked. His injury was serious, he was left with a plate in his head, and a noticeable deep crater shaped hole on the front of his skull onto his forehead. So, maybe there is hope for Schumacher, though I agree, it does sound very serious.

I think it's genuine. F1 racing is well respected.

FlicketyB I also find the 'celebrity wishes' grating. It seems self-publicising, especially e.g. on Twitter.

Hmm. Sounds as if it's surgery that has caused the "slight improvement" (from nearly dead?), not Schumacher's body doing some injury fighting. His poor family.

keep it up Shumacher

I'm not sure I agree with Flickety there. Who knows how the brain works in a struggle for life? Maybe an inborn and well rehearsed 'striving to overcome the odds' will help.

If I ever have a brain damaging accident like that, I want to die straight away. With that in mind, I think it might be better if he dies. My youngest brother had a devastating accident and was in a coma for over three weeks. Like flickety, I know what Schumacher's family are going through and feel for them.

Many of the messages wishing Schumacher well from various celebrities and people who feel they should be seen to make a comment put my teeth on edge. They were all so upbeat and read as if they had been written by publicists for someone who had just had a bad accident and broken some bones. His strength, determination etc etc, however admirable these attributes will play no part in his survival, or not. They may help, if he survives, as he struggles to regain mental acuity. If he survives, and that is still questionable, he will have very severe brain injuries and these may be life long.

His best hope is that medical treatment started so quickly and that he has the world class neurologists on hand. The comparisons with Natasha Richardson are apposite but his injury is worse. His period of consciousness was very short and it is reported that he was bleeding immediately after the accident.

My thoughts are all with his family, I know what they are going through.

When the accident was first reported Natasha Richardson flashed across my mind, but at that point it didn't seem too serious. The way he has deteriorated does sound ominous but as Eddie Jordan said " If you were in this situation you'd want to be Michael Schumacher"

I hope he survives, but even if he does he will almost definitely be left severely brain damaged. Death can be preferable.

Sorry to be so gloomy but 22 years ago my sister sustained a similar injury when she was knocked off her bike and hit her head on the curb. Initially lucid, some confusion and agitation, unconsciousness rushed to nearby hospital then to a major neurological unit, operated on, in a coma. In her case another operation. They explained to my parents that even if she survived she would be severely brain damaged. My mother said she never thought she would pray for the death of one of her children, but she did, because when she thought of what she would suffer if she survived, death seemed the kindest choice.

Sorry

"Extreme" forms of sport are becoming ever more popular it seems, such as off piste skiing for one. There was the Dutch prince 2 years ago who has since died, and at least one British teenager quite recently.That said, didn't Natasha Richardson die as a result of a very simple and apparently harmless fall backwards ? It's a dangerous business at just about any level and one just has to take precautions - whether by always observing local conditions or using the correct safety equipment.