In the winter of 2013, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher suffered a life-changing skiing accident that left him in a medically induced coma for 250 days. The racing legend was skiing off-piste with his son in the French Alps when he fell and struck his head on a rock, sustaining a severe brain injury.
© GettySince then, Schumacher has remained entirely out of the public eye. He splits his time between homes in Switzerland and Mallorca, where he receives round-the-clock medical care. His wife Corinna Schumacher and their two children, Mick and Gina-Maria, have strictly guarded his privacy, leaving fans with ongoing questions about his current health and daily life.
© GettyNow, over a decade after the tragedy, one of the emergency responders who rescued him from the mountain has broken his silence to share new details about the tragic incident.
Emergency responder reveals new details
Yannick Dainese, the helicopter pilot on call when the accident occurred, has spoken publicly for the first time in an interview with the French newspaper L'Équipe.
At the time, Yannick was working as a pilot for SAF Hélicoptères, a French company specialising in services such as medical evacuation and mountain rescue.
After receiving an emergency call from the Méribel ski resort, Yannick was informed that the injured person was Michael and, along with his colleagues, was instructed to remove their microphones and GoPro cameras
© Harold Cunningham/GettyAs a seasoned responder, Dainese tried to treat Schumacher like "just another seriously injured person," but admits he still felt the immense pressure of the situation.
"Subconsciously, of course, the pressure was there because even though I wasn't a Formula 1 fan, I knew people worshipped him like a god," said Yannick, who now works as a pilot for France's Civil Security Service at the Grenoble air base.
Yannick successfully transported the racing driver to Grenoble University Hospital in 25 minutes, where a medical team was already poised for action.
© STROpening up about the aftermath of the accident, Yannick shared: "A few days after the accident, I went back to the hospital to transport another injured person.
"What I saw shocked me: there were so many buses, red flags, and people everywhere that the hospital grounds had been transformed into a Formula 1 circuit. It was unbelievable," he added
Why Yannick stayed silent until now
Revealing why he's stayed silent about the incident until now, Yannick said: "I didn't want to speak to the media to avoid problems. Besides, I don’t have the same lawyers as the Schumacher family!
