Dutch prince Johan Friso ‘may never regain consciousness’

Dutch prince Johan Friso, injured in an avalanche while skiing off-trail in Austria last week, is in a coma and may never regain consciousness, doctors said Friday.

Wolfgang Koller, head of Innsbruck University Hospital’s trauma unit, told a press conference broadcast live on Dutch national TV that it took nearly 50 minutes to reanimate Friso after he was pulled from the snow near the Lech ski resort, according to the Associated Press.

The prince suffered massive brain damage after being buried under snow for about 15 minutes when the avalanche struck around noon local time last Friday.

The avalanche reportedly measured about 30 meters wide by 40 meters long, according to the BBC. A beeper Friso was wearing allowed rescuers to reach him quickly by helicopter.

“It can’t be said with certainty at this point whether Prince Friso will ever regain consciousness again,” Koller told reporters at Friday’s news conference, according to the Agence France Presse.

Friso, 43, who is married with two young daughters, is the second son of the Netherlands’ Queen Beatrix. He will be moved from Innsbruck to a private rehabilitation clinic for further treatment at a later date. 

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