GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, INJURED IN SKIING FALL

  
Partial break in her pelvis, but nothing fatal, thank goodness. LL

http://news.sky.com/story/1190877/angela-merkel-injured-in-skiing-accident

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been injured during a cross-country skiing accident in Switzerland.

Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for Mrs Merkel, said the Chancellor suffered a fractured pelvis and must rest as much as possible over the coming weeks.

Mrs Merkel has been forced to cancel a number of meetings over the next three weeks due to the injury.

She will work from home during this period, Mr Seibert said.

I don't like being a pessimist, but I suspect the possible ramifications of a broken pelvis in a woman of nearly 60 haven't sunk in yet?

She is an incredibly healthy and fit woman, bonny, and it seems it is more of a fracture rather than an actual break. The friend in Berlin who told me about this says that they are at present not too worried,. she will just have to stay in bed and work from there. I will remain optomistic. LL

Yes, you're probably right, LL. I must admit, I've never quite seen the allure of ski-ing down snow-covered mountains; it's good to watch experts doing it, but the casualty rate in amateurs is, sadly, rather high.

bb1 wrote:Yes, you're probably right, LL. I must admit, I've never quite seen the allure of ski-ing down snow-covered mountains; it's good to watch experts doing it, but the casualty rate in amateurs is, sadly, rather high.

I love skiing but since my RA has got bad I have had to forego the pleasure as my sense of balance is all kaput. The only fall I have ever had which caused injury as opposed to odd bruises was actually off a ski-lift when the chains holding the seat up snapped and I fell down into a snowdrift. Broke a bone in my leg, but it healed and I went back to skiing a year or so later. LL

There have been so many ski-ing tragedies - there's a long list of high-profile accidents alone. Sonny Bono, one of the Kennedys, Natasha Richardson were all fatal. Michael Schumacher's in a bad way, and now Ms Merkel has hurt herself. It's probably just me, LL. I can't see the allure of falling over in snow, so would never think the pleasure outweighed the risk.

Oh, I agree, but then anyone who has Austrian blood learns to ski from a very early age! And nowadays with everything being broadcast in great detail, we get to hear far more thsn when we were young. LL