Michael Schumacher’s rescue helicopter pilot has broken his silence for the first time on the Formula One legend’s horror ski crash, revealing the immense pressure of helping save a man who was ‘worshipped like a god’.
Yannick Dainese rushed the seven-time world champion to hospital after he suffered a catastrophic head injury while skiing in the French Alps in December 2013.
Twelve years on, the pilot has recalled the dramatic rescue mission and the extraordinary scenes that unfolded around one of sport’s biggest names.
The emergency responder said he initially thought colleagues were joking when he was told Schumacher was the injured skier.
But he quickly realised the seriousness of the situation when journalists were barred from joining the rescue and crews were ordered to remove cameras before heading to the scene.
On December 29, 2013, Mr Dainese was on duty as a pilot for SAF Hélicoptères, a company specialising in mountain rescue and emergency medical flights, when his team received an urgent call from the slopes of Méribel.
At the time, he had no idea who had been injured.
Speaking to French newspaper L’Équipe, he recalled: ‘A rescuer jumped out of the helicopter with the doctor and said to me: ‘We’re going to Schumacher!’
‘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.’
Michael Schumacher of Germany and Ferrari celebrates on the podium after winning the German Formula One Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring on July 30, 2006
Michael Schumacher of Germany and Ferrari talks to the media during a Shell Press Conference at the Transamerica Hotel during the previews to the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix at Interlagos Circuit on October 19, 2006 in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Although not a devoted Formula One fan, Mr Dainese said he knew exactly who Schumacher was and the stature he held around the world.
‘Subconsciously, the pressure was there because I knew he was worshipped like a god,’ he said.
‘But for me, he was just another seriously injured person.’
Mr Dainese said the atmosphere at the scene was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, with the ski slope quickly sealed off and access restricted to medics, rescuers and Schumacher’s entourage.
There was little conversation as emergency crews worked to stabilise the stricken driver, with everyone focused solely on the task at hand.
Mr Dainese and a colleague secured Schumacher in a vacuum mattress before carrying him aboard the helicopter for the flight to hospital in Grenoble.
The 25-minute journey was conducted in near silence as medical staff monitored the racing icon’s condition.
At the time, Mr Dainese said he had no idea how severe Schumacher’s injuries were.
It was only days later, when he returned to the same hospital with another injured skier, that he realised the scale of the global attention surrounding the crash.
‘What I saw shocked me,’ he said.
‘There were so many buses, red flags and people everywhere that the hospital grounds had been transformed into a Formula One circuit. It was unbelievable.’
Formula one World champion Ferrrari driver Michael Schumacher (L) poses in Madonna di Campiglio with his wife Corinna 16 January 2003
Ferrari Formula one driver world champion German Michael Schumacher skis in Madonna di Campiglio, 15 January 2004
Mr Dainese now works for France’s Civil Security Service at the Grenoble air base.
He said he waited 12 years before speaking publicly about the rescue out of respect for Schumacher’s family, who have fiercely guarded the former Ferrari star’s privacy since the accident.
Schumacher’s wife, Corinna, has maintained a tightly controlled circle of family members, close friends and medical professionals, with very few details about his condition emerging in public.
Investigators later concluded Schumacher was not travelling at excessive speed when he struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.
Footage from his helmet camera showed the impact catapulted him around 11.5ft forward before he smashed head-first into a boulder, splitting his helmet in two.
The German was placed in an induced coma and underwent two major operations following the accident.
He remained in the coma for 250 days – more than eight months.
Mr Dainese’s testimony is set to feature in a major report bringing together the accounts of doctors, rescuers and other professionals involved in the aftermath of Schumacher’s crash.
