Michael Schumacher's Brain Injury May Be Blamed on His GoPro

10 years ago - 14 October 2014, Autoblog

It seemed like a freak accident when Michael Schumacher suffered a traumatic head injury while skiing in France last winter. After all, while he may have embarked off the marked trails, he knew that ski hill well, and was wearing a helmet when he fell over and smacked his head on a rock. So why did the helmet not protect him better? The latest reports may have the answer.

According to photography blog PetaPixel, the integrity of the seven-time world champion's ski helmet may have been compromised by the GoPro camera that was attached atop it. While Schumi almost certainly would have died if not for the helmet, it may have been the camera that prevented him from skiing away from the incident unscathed instead of putting him in a coma.

Apparently the ENSA alpine sports academy in Chamonix, France, is investigating the influence of the camera's attachment to the helmet's integrity. Preliminary findings suggest that the presence of a solid object in between the helmet and the rock would cause the helmet to split open, severely reducing the level of protection it would provide the head inside.

Schumacher is still recuperating at his home in Switzerland. At present, he reportedly has yet to regain the ability to either walk or speak. Of course we wish Michael a speedy and full recovery and will be watching for updates to bring you as his recovery continues.