Formula One racing legend Michael Schumacher is in a critical condition on Monday morning, December 30, following a skiing accident on an unmarked slope in France, according to a report by the Guardian.
According to Shumacher's doctors, the Formula One legend is fighting for dear life after incurring serious head injuries.
Schumacher, 44, had a skiing accident at the Méribel resort in the French Alps morning of Sunday, December 29. He was airlifted to Grenoble after a falling heavily and hitting his head on the unmarked slope at the resort. Schumacher was with a group of friends and his 14-year-old son when the accident happened.
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, the Guardian said. The Méribel resort is one of the top ski resorts in the French Alps. Schumacher owns a chalet in the area.
The Grenoble hospital issued a statement after hours of silence and said that Schumacher was in a critical condition. The statement also said that the Formula One legend was already in a coma when he arrived at the hospital. Schumacher is suffering from "sever brain trauma" and had undergone the necessary surgery, the statement said.
The hospital announcement, although released three hours after Schumacher's confinement, was the first since Sabine Kehm, Schumacher's manager, issued a statement confirming the accident.
"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," Kehm's the statement said.
Gérard Saillant, a top brain surgeon from Paris, rushed to Grenoble hospital to attend to Schumacher's condition. Saillant is the grand prix driver's friend who is also a brain and injury expert. He was in-charged with the surgery when Schumacher broke his leg in 1999 at Silverstone.
