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Michael Schumacher's Rescuer Breaks 12-Year Silence on Devastating Skiing Accident: 'What I Saw Shocked Me'
Dainese says the 25-minute rescue flight to Grenoble hospital was silent, and his account will appear in a report with dozens of medical experts.
Helicopter pilot Yannick Dainese has spoken publicly for the first time about rescuing Michael Schumacher 12 years ago, transporting the former World Champion from the French Alps following a traumatic head injury.
Yannick was on duty for SAF Helicopteres when his unit received an emergency call from Meribel Alpina in the French Alps, prompting the emergency transport operation.
Speaking to French outlet Equipe, Dainese recalled initial disbelief upon learning the passenger was Schumacher, saying "subconsciously, the pressure was there because I knew he was worshipped like a god."
Upon arrival at the hospital, Dainese was shocked to find the grounds transformed into a Formula circuit by crowds; Schumacher's condition remains under close wraps with his family maintaining privacy.
The accident completely altered the former World Champion's life; Schumacher remained in a coma for up to 250 days and now resides at his family's private residences in Switzerland and Mallorca.