Prince Johan Friso
Michel Porro/Getty
Dutch Prince Johan Friso's battle to regain consciousness after being buried alive in an avalanche last week may be hopeless, says his doctor."It is clear that the oxygen starvation has caused massive brain damage to the patient," said Dr. Wolfgang Koller, head of trauma at Austria's Innsbruck hospital where the second of Dutch Queen Beatrix's three sons is being treated, reports Britain's Independent. "At the moment, it cannot be predicted if he will ever regain consciousness."
The prince, 41, was on a skiing vacation in the Austrian resort of Lech and lay under a mound of snow for at least 15 minutes before his rescue and hospitalization.
According to reports, the prince's mother and his wife, Mabel, have been to visit him, as have his brothers, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Prince Constantijn.
The prince is expected to receive further treatment at a private clinic, where he will eventually be moved – though it may take years before he awakens, if ever, said Koller.