TWO crucial mistakes were made on the day of F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s ski crash, an instructor who rushed to help the stricken driver has said. German author and journalist Jens Gideon has been probing the horrific accident 10 years ago which led to the 7-time world champion’s withdrawal from public life.
The seven time Formula One winner was left with life-threatening injuries following a ski crash in 2013Credit: Alamy
Very little information about Schumacher’s current condition has been shared with the publicCredit: Getty
His wife Corinna has been instrumental in keeping details about his health privateCredit: Alamy
He has now released the findings of his investigation for the German broadcaster ARD – pointing to key errors.
Schumacher’s health has been shrouded in silence and secrecy for 10 years since the accident on December 29, 2013.
Gideon however has now visited the scene of the crash in the French Alps.
After speaking to a local ski instructor – named only as Andre – he believes there were two mistakes made around Schumacher’s crash.
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The first was the lack of snow on the ground, which meant it was extra dangerous to ski.
And the second was that as Schumacher appeared conscious after the initial crash, first responders didn’t realise the severity of his condition.
Andre was one of the first people to arrive at the scene of Schumacher’s tragic accident.
The Ferrari and Mercedes driver had been skiing off-piste with his son Mick.
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Andre recalled that there wasn’t enough snow on the ground that day, which made it an exceptionally dangerous day to ski.
The absence of adequate snow meant that more rocks were exposed.
He said: “You don’t go in there on a day like that. It was clear that there wasn’t enough snow.”
He also told Jens that he recalled seeing the crushed helmet, and that there was still a camera atop the helmet.
Although the camera footage has never, and presumably will never, be shared publicly – it is believed the accident was caught on camera.
And the local ski instructor said Schumacher appeared to be conscious – and that is why he was taken to the hospital in Moutiers.
Andre said that the fact that he appeared alert may have given first responders the impression that he was in a better condition than he actually was.
He told Jens that the racing legend’s health seriously deteriorated whilst he was being airlifted to the town of Moutiers.
He lost consciousness and was intubated.
When the helicopter eventually landed it was immediately decided that it should take off again and fly to the bigger, more specialised hospital in Grenoble.
Andre said that if this had been decided earlier, Schumacher could have been there three minutes earlier, and received the treatment he needed in better time.
Instead, the racing champion was put into a medically induced coma that lasted 250 days.
He then underwent two operations to remove blood clots, and very little was said other than the fact that he faces a long road ahead.
In the 10 years since the racing champion fell whilst skiing in Meribel, France, Schumacher has remained out of the public eye.
His inner circle of family and close friends have been sworn to secrecy and a family lawyer has been brought in to protect private matters.
Felix Damm, the Schumacher family lawyer, maintains that this approach to the situation has strengthened the protection of the Formula One legend and his family.
While he understands that many Schumacher fans want to know how the star is doing, he believes that they should respect the family’s privacy.
This comes after Formula One journalist, Roger Benoit, told Swiss newspaper Blick that Schumacher was “a case without hope.”
Formula One legend and friend of Schumacher, Johnny Herbert, called the comment “horrible”, but did reveal that Schumacher was “not close” to his former self following his ski crash.
He continued by saying his friends are often left in the dark about his health.
Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, the ex-Sky Sports pundit said: “There’s never any news. What we do know is we never hear any positive news.
“That’s the horrible thought that he is still not able to be close to the Michael that we all remember. And that is very sad.”
He also reflected on how the star’s crash affected his younger brother, Ralf Schumacher, and the honest character that Michael had always been.
“Ralf has had to do a lot of things for and with the family given what happened to Michael.
“He has matured. He is very different now to the person he was as a driver.
“He is a good human being now. He has changed a lot having had to cope with the ongoing situation with his brother.”
Last month, former McLaren star Mark Blundell said: “At the end of the day, what happened to him was incredibly difficult to take.
“I don’t know where we are today with Michael’s health as he’s rightly guarded.
“He’s still around, and hopefully he understands what’s going on. That would be a plus. It’s very difficult.”
Meanwhile, Schumacher’s wife Corinna has used the Netflix documentary Schumacher to comment: “I mean, everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here.”
“Different, but he’s here and that gives us strength, I find.
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“We try to carry on a family as Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.
“‘Private is private’, as he always said. It is very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible.”
Michael Schumacher is widely considered to be one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all timeCredit: Getty
According to his wife, family life has always been important to the racing championCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Many of the star’s closest friends are still being kept in the dark about his healthCredit: AP More
