FORMER Chelsea star Michael Ballack’s son’s injuries were so bad emergency responders who battled to save his life needed counselling.
Emilio Ballack died in a quad bike accident after a heavy vehicle is believed to have landed on the teenager’s head from a height of around three feet.
The teenager, 18, was thrown backwards after losing control.
Police and firefighters said the tragedy happened just after 2am on Thursday at the family holiday home in the picture-postcard resort of Troia.
On Friday, security guards were patrolling the private street outside the sprawling villa as the tragic youngster’s two brothers and other loved ones holed up inside ahead of the post-mortem.
Emilio’s grandmother Karin is believed to have been one of the first to rush to his aid after his accident and made the 999 call.
German press have reported his 44-year-old former footballer dad was also at the property along with his other two sons Louis, 19, and Jordi, 16 and Emilio’s grandfather Stephan.
Police sources told respected Portuguese daily Correio da Manha: “According to witnesses, the youngster was performing a manoeuvre and the quad bike’s front wheels lifted up and tipped backwards, causing the young man to fall backwards.
The vehicle went up three foot in the air and crushed him
“The vehicle went up three foot in the air and crushed him.”
Grief counsellors are understood to be assisting Michael and his family.
The footballer, who won five mar trophies at Chelsea, joined the Blues in 2006 from Bayern Munich and scored 25 goals during his four years at the Premier League club.
The whereabouts of his ex-wife Simone Lambe, mum to his three sons, is not yet known.
She posted photos at the weekend during a sunshine break in St Tropez but like her former husband has yet to make any official comment about their middle child’s death.
A post-mortem was due to take place today at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Santiago de Cacem an hour’s drive from Troia.
The results will be sent to a court in Setubal which is co-ordinating a routine investigation into the early-hours tragedy.
Emilio had just graduated from the Munich International School in Berg on Lake Starnberg.
Former Chelsea captain John Terry and Gary Lineker were among those to pay their tributes.
Ballack’s friend Reiner Calmund told Bild: “My thoughts are with Michael and his family. It’s all bitter, bitter, bitter.”
Former Germany team boss Rudi Voller said: “The news has shocked me and I am deeply affected.
“We mourn the boy and feel for Michael and Simone.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
