Schumacher Would Be Dead If Not for Ski Helmet

Michael Schumacher remains in an artificial coma, with his body temp lowered to 93.2 to 95 degrees, after hitting his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps yesterday—and doctors are refusing to predict any outcome for the seven-time Formula One champ, reports the AP. Says the chief anesthesiologist at the University Hospital of Grenoble, "It is too early, at this stage, to make a judgement about the future of Michael Schumacher. He is in a critical state in terms of cerebral resuscitation. We are working hour by hour." But what they did say is that there's no way Schumacher would be alive had he not been wearing a helmet.

And a brain surgeon unrelated to his care (who had previously operated on the German driver) noted that if anyone stood a chance of surviving such an injury, it's Schumacher, reports the Telegraph. "Someone of 70 is less likely to survive this sort of accident than someone who is 45, and someone like Michael who is in top condition is more likely to survive than someone else." The anesthesiologist shared one more detail from the accident today, saying after the fall Schumacher wasn't in a "normal state of consciousness": He wasn't responding to questions and his limbs appeared to be moving involuntarily. (More Michael Schumacher stories.)