- Corinna Schumacher 'not good' but is 'trying to be strong for her husband'
- Has kept a vigil since F1 champion's horrific skiing accident in French Alps
- German newspaper says he suffered fall while helping out a child in trouble
- 'Was wearing rented skis which police are investigating to see if defective'
With worry etched on her face, Michael Schumacher's wife today arrived at hospital to spend a fourth day by his bedside as the Formula One legend fights for life.
Corinna Schumacher, who has shown unwavering support for her husband in their 18 years of marriage, was said to be struggling with the stress of his battle to survive.
The 44-year-old has kept a vigil at her husband’s bedside at Grenoble Hospital since his horrendous skiing accident on Sunday morning in the French resort of Meribel.
His manager, Sabine Kehm, said: 'Corinna of course, is really not good. But she is trying to be strong for Michael, to give him support and not allow negative thoughts to reach him.'
Worry: Corinna Schumacher arrives at Grenoble Hospital to spend a fourth day by her husband's bedside as he fights for life following his horrific skiing accident in the French Alps on Sunday
'Corinna of course, is really not good': Mrs Schumacher (pictured with family surgeon Professor Gerard Saillant) was 'trying to stay strong' for her husband, the star's manager said
Critical condition: Michael Schumacher, with Corinna on a skiing holiday in 2003, was put in an artificial coma after his accident on Sunday
Germany's Bild newspaper said Schumacher, 44, was with friends, their children and his own 14-year-old son Mick when he stayed behind the group to look out for the youngsters in an off-piste area.
Propelling himself on a pair of rented skis, the paper said: 'Suddenly the daughter of a friend crashed.
'Schumi helps the girl, leaving the groomed area and moves about 20 metres in the deep snow between the slopes Biche and Mauduit.'
Catastrophic collision: This diagram shows the final moments of Michael Schumacher's horror crash based on reports from eyewitnesses. Spots of blood can also be seen in the snow where the F1 star reportedly landed
Path to disaster: This graphic shows the route which Schumacher took at Saulire mountain in Meribel and the off-piste area where he reportedly crashed while stopping to help a fallen friend
Injury: Blood in the scow at the scene of the accident which is said to have occurred after Schumacher tried to help a friend's child
Rock horror: One of the stones which caused Michael Schumacher's serious head injury on the slopes of Meribel, France
Bild speculated that Schumacher was distracted because he was irritated by the binding on one boot and was unable to break his fall with his hands.
The paper reports that both sides of the groomed slopes are marked with flags and that the accident occurred between 10.50am and 11am - around a quarter of an hour earlier than previously thought.
According to Bild, the helicopter which airlifted him to safety on Sunday made a stop en-route to the hospital to insert a tube to allow him to breathe more easily.
The doctors at the first hospital noticed the bruising and bleeding on the brain and ordered the helicopter to take him to Grenoble where he was placed in an artificial coma.
Rescue scene: A picture released yesterday shows a helicopter waiting to fly Schumacher to hospital
Pictures show bloodstains in the snow at the spot where the former F1 ace smashed his head after being 'catapulted' headfirst.
According to the first ski patrol paramedic on the scene, Schumacher hit a boulder which was concealed by snow that had fallen the night before and then struck three more rocks.
The French national, who asked not to be named, said: ‘We arrived within two minutes of the accident. The man lost control after hitting a rock that was lightly covered with snow.
'He went into the air and he fell and hit three more rocks on the way down. There was a lot of blood around the last rock where he hit his head.
'The helicopter, which was able to land within 30 metres of the accident, came within minutes.’
'No significant changes': Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm is surrounded by journalists outside Grenoble Hospital as she updates the media on his condition, saying he had remained stable overnight
There have been reports that Schumacher had been travelling at up to 60mph when he crashed, but Miss Kehm denied this, describing what happened as ‘extreme bad luck and circumstances’.
Kehm added that the accident could have happened even 'at 10 kilometres (six miles) per hour' and took place during 'a normal turning manoeuvre'.
She added: ‘He was not at high speed. He had helped a friend on the piste and then started again.
'He hit a rock he hadn’t seen when he went to do a curve and he was catapulted in the air and apparently, head down, hit another.'
A two-pronged police inquiry has been launched, conducted by the prosecutor in Albertville.
The gendarmerie there is investigating the circumstances of the accident and will collect witness statements.
Mountain police in nearby Bourg-St-Maurice will collect technical data such as weather conditions, snow depth and quality.
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