Michael Schumacher’s helicopter pilot has broken his silence and recounted his account of the day when the F1 icon suffered a horror crash while skiing
The helicopter pilot who rushed to aid Michael Schumacher after his horror crash 12 years ago has broken his silence.
Yannick Dainese flew Schumacher from the slopes in the French Alps to a treatment centre after the F1 icon suffered a traumatic head injury during the accident. Yannick was on duty as a pilot for SAF Hélicoptères when they received a call from Meribel Alpina.
He admitted he had no idea who had been injured at the time, but was told once they landed on the now. Speaking to French outlet L’Equipe, he said: “A rescuer jumped out of the helicopter with the doctor and said to me ‘we’re going to Schumacher!’
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“At first I thought he was joking. But when the commander ordered us to remove our microphones and GoPros, and to forbid journalists from accompanying us, I understood that it was true.”
Yannick said he’s not an F1 fan, but was well aware of the German’s fame. “Subconsciously, the pressure was there because I knew he was worshipped like a god.
“But for me, he was just another seriously injured person.”
The slope was immediately locked off, leaving only Schumacher and the medics on the ground. Yannick and his team strapped Schumacher onto a vacuum mattress before transporting him onto the helicopter.
He also revealed the 25-minute journey across to a Grenoble hospital was in complete silence.
However, he had no idea of the extent of his injuries when they arrived at the hospital. It was only after he returned a few days later, when transporting another patient, did he discover the full story.
“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.”
Schumacher’s condition has been a closely guarded secret – and the family have built an inner circle around the former F1 World Champion.
He was in a coma for up to 250 days after the accident. Schumacher now resides at his family’s private estates in Switzerland and Mallorca.
Yannick’s account of the day is set to feature in a wide-scale report involving dozens of doctors and professionals who have knowledge of the skiing accident.