No change in prince Friso’s condition, royals arrive at hospital

Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands, second son of queen Beatrix, remains in a very serious condition in an Austrian hospital after being hit by an avalanche while skiing on Friday.


Queen Beatrix and Friso’s wife Mabel arrived at the hospital to visit the prince shortly after midday on Saturday. They were both wearing black and dark glasses, held on to each other as they left the car and appeared ‘very upset’, the Telegraaf reported.
The prince, who was skiing off piste with one companion, not three as originally thought, spent at least 15 minutes under the snow, after a 30-metre wide avalanche swept him down the hillside.
Doctors revived the unconscious prince, 43, at the scene and he was rushed to hospital in Innsbruck by helicopter.
Injuries
The prince’s doctor Claudius Thomé says in Saturday’s NRC Friso does not have a skull fracture and no injuries to the rest of his body. The resuscitation efforts took ‘a long time’ and the prince wil be kept artificially asleep for the next few days.
The paper contacted the doctor through the husband of one of its reporters who is a neurosurgeon and was in Innsbruck to teach a course.
The state information service has not made any other information about the prince’s condition public, other than to say he is stable but still in a critical condition. A hospital spokesman told reporters the NRC report was inaccurate but declined to give details.
Brothers
Friso’s brothers, crown prince Willem-Alexander and prince Constantijn, arrived in Austria with their families on Friday night.
The Dutch royal family always goes skiing at the Austrian resort of Lech. There has been heavy snow in recent days and a code 4 avalanche warning was in force, according to Nos television. Five is the highest code.
Michael Manhart, responsible for security on many of the Lech pistes, told Austrian news agency APA the slope where the prince was hit was dangerous. However, the prince knew what he was doing and it would be wrong to blame anyone else, Manhart said.
‘Everyone who skis off piste must take responsibility for his own actions,’ Manhart said.

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