INQUISITR.COM / Sports

Michael Schumacher Fights For Life After Skiing Accident, Doctors Take It ‘Hour By Hour’

By Patricia Didelot
Published on: 04:03 PST, Dec 30, 2013

Michael Schumacher is fighting for his life and doctors are taking it “hour by hour” as they refuse to predict the outcome for one of the greatest Formula One champions in history.

Schumacher was airlifted to the hospital following his devastating injury, and physicians treating the racing great at a hospital in Grenoble, France are proceeding one step at a time.

According to Chief anesthesiologist Jean-Francois Payen, the seven-time Formula One champion is still in a medically induced coma to allow his medical team to focus on his current condition.

“We cannot predict the future for Michael Schumacher. He is in a critical state in terms of cerebral resuscitation. We are working hour by hour.”

Michael Schumacher is considered to be the best Formula One racer in the history of the sport. He arrived at Grenoble University Hospital Center with a severe head injury and immediately went into surgery.

During a news conference to update on the driver’s condition, Payen said his injuries are life-threatening and “for the moment we cannot say what Michael Schumacher’s future is.”

The racing great and his son were skiing in the French Alps resort of Meribel, when he fell and hit the right side of his head on a rock.

Reports indicate he was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, but it was clearly insufficient to protect him against the severe injury.

“Someone who had suffered this accident without a helmet would not have made it this far,” Payen said.

As part of the induced coma, Michael Schumacher’s medical team has lowered his body temperature to between 93.2 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit and are trying to relieve the pressure on his brain.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the area of the resort where Schumacher and his son were skiing is an off-piste section for skilled skiers, which is well tended, but challenging. Schumacher is considered to be an expert skier, and was normally capable of handling the run’s difficulty.

Officials with the resort indicated that Schumacher was conscious when paramedics arrived, though in shock when he was airlifted to a local hospital and later Grenoble.

As news of Michael Schumacher’s current serious condition has spread, former colleagues, bosses, and fans have taken to social media to offer support to his family.

Michael Schumacher’s wife and family are by his side as doctors fight to keep the racing legend alive.

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