Skiing Accidents No Joke

Yesterday actress Natasha Richardson passed away after receiving major head trauma following a skiing accident outside of Montreal, Canada. She was in the middle of ski lessons when she fell and initially she didn't complain about any major injuries. She was later taken to the hospital after complaining of some head pains. After initial tests in Montreal it was revealed that her conditions was much worse than first anticipated. She was then air-lifted to New York City's Lennox Hill Hospital on the Upper East side of Manhattan. Shortly after arriving in NYC doctors had little hope for recovery and late last night she passed away due to injuries suffered while skiing.

She was an actress best known for her work on the stage but also well known for her roles in "Nell", Disney's remake of "Parent Trap" with a young Lindsey Lohan, and more recently "Maid in Manhattan." She was married to actor Liam Neeson and will leave behind two children.

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As noted in the video this is not the first time that a notable celebrity has received fatal head injuries while recreating on the slopes. If you don't recall in late '97 and early '98 both singer, entertainer, and then Senator Sonny Bono AND Michael Kennedy both died within a week of each other in separate but equally deadly skiing accidents. While those three may be the most publicized celebrity accidents, other notable celebs have been in the rough while out on the slopes.

Other celebrities with recognizable names have been in skiing incidents in recent years. Both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Peter Gabriel broke their legs while skiing, meanwhile American journalist John McWethy was not so fortunate. He died after striking a tree while skiing, a similar fate to that of Sonny Bono and Michael Kennedy.

Three other notable celebrities have perished whilst enjoying a day out in nature. NFL Hall of Famer Doak Walker died of injuries received after a skiing accident. Also Michael Trudeau, son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, died in an avalanche while skiing in 1998. More recently Extreme Skiing Pioneer Doug Coombs died while skiing in the French Alps.

All of these injuries and deaths prove that while the slopes may provide some much needed escape from the real-world, we shouldn't allow us to drop our guard because we are still at the end of the day - MORTALLY HUMAN. Ski & Board Safe!