Prince Friso in Critical Condition Following Skiing Accident: February 17, 2012


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I would have thought that at a time like this that photographers would be more respectful to the family. Not even harassing the wife or mother, but the freakin children!
 
Unfortunately, as NGalitzine pointed out, there's a market for this and no boundaries to even showing the vulnerability of the children; a case of supply and demand.
 
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Exactly, as long as we, the general public, buy the tabloids and magazines that publish the pictures and other similarly invasive pictures of celebrities editors will pay the photographers for them. In the end it is the public that keep these people in business.
 
The story would still be read, even with stock photos (the way the Royal Forum lead article is doing it). Stock photos should indeed be used in cases like this. An editor could enforce this.

Three more people died in an avalanche in the Western United States today. Apparently, the snow this year is extremely dense and heavy and avalanche-prone. To me, of course, snow is snow (I'm like those Dutch flatlanders - I know nothing about snow and was very surprised to learn how many different kinds there are; I too have fallen when I thought I wasn't going to, on hard packed snow - so I can relate to poor Natasha, I still have pain from the injury - but I had no idea how slippery snow could be - thought it was only ice that was slippery).

Anyway, it's a very avalanche prone year, in the places where it has snowed.
 
Today 2 skiers were killed and 8 others are missing in an avalanche in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle. They were skiing off piste. Not only were they foolish to ski off piste, but other people are forced to put their lives in danger to rescue them. I do hope the prince recovers, but people should use their common sense in situations like this.

As for critical care units, I think that different hospitals have different rules. In the critical care unit of our local hospital, all the rooms are private rooms with glass fronts. Family members are allowed to stay 24-hours a day if they wish. You are only asked to leave if they are working on the patient and then not always.
 
Today 2 skiers were killed and 8 others are missing in an avalanche in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle. They were skiing off piste. Not only were they foolish to ski off piste, but other people are forced to put their lives in danger to rescue them. I do hope the prince recovers, but people should use their common sense in situations like this.

As for critical care units, I think that different hospitals have different rules. In the critical care unit of our local hospital, all the rooms are private rooms with glass fronts. Family members are allowed to stay 24-hours a day if they wish. You are only asked to leave if they are working on the patient and then not always.

It was three people who were killed and all of the missing have been found, thankfully.

All missing in Wash. avalanche accounted for - Yahoo! News
 
Prince Friso is not dead.

Four people now dead in two separate incidents in Washington (and then there's another, a person from Finland, skiing somewhere in Europe) within the past 48 hours or so:

Four dead in two incidents in Washington avalanches

People who are familiar with avalanches say that there are avalanche prediction systems that are very accurate and that the people in Washington were all skiing/snow boarding off-piste. It has become very common to do so.
 
Praying everything goes well. This reminds me of waiting for news of Dan Weldon. All I could pray was "help!" I don't have the sense of foreboding this time.

Back in 2001 my grandma had what might have been a stroke. A lot of my cousins came to the hospital. We had loads of fun in the hospital going to the cafeteria (to get coffee, tea and hot chocolate) and waking around the hospital despite the serious situation. My younger cousins were about Friso's daughters ages at the time. Grandma recovered and passed away three years ago this year. One of the last times she was hospitalized it wasn't that much fun, although we did make it to the cafeteria again for ice cream and drinks.
 
My prayers and sympathies with Prince Friso and the Dutch Royal Family. This is very sad news, and a horrible end to what was suppose to be a happy family vacation.
 
NGalitzine said:
Exactly, as long as we, the general public, buy the tabloids and magazines that publish the pictures and other similarly invasive pictures of celebrities editors will pay the photographers for them. In the end it is the public that keep these people in business.

You said all! We are ALL guilty. As far as demand exirts, they just cover the need. Stop being hypocrits.
 
The DRF lead a public life, in good times and in bad times, and they are used to being photographed. Its clear to see that the adults accept this fact.

However, there is no need to take pictures of the children during this difficult time.
 
Thank you so much Lucien for the news you give us.
I was shocked when I knew the accident of Prince Friso on friday evening. I came several times on this board to get news on the prince. I am very touched to see the photos of The queen Béatrice and Princess Mabel. I am praying for the recovery of Friso, I like a lot the dutch royal family which is so sympathic.
 
The DRF lead a public life, in good times and in bad times, and they are used to being photographed. Its clear to see that the adults accept this fact.

However, there is no need to take pictures of the children during this difficult time.

I agree, and admit that without the press and their picture taking we would know very little about what any royal family are doing. I don't see a forum like this running without pictures of the royals. Taking pictures of the children is wrong, but it's what the paparazzi do.
 
It's really very simple.

Boycot the magazines that show pictures of distraught children unless the NLRF (Dutch RF) themselves pose in front of the cameras. - Which I very much doubt they will!
Bombard the magazines, that has a history of crossing the line, with e-mails already now, telling them if they dare show paparazzi pictures of the children, you'll refuse to buy their magazine. Ever again.

And if they do it, then mail them again and don't buy their magazine. Cancel subscriptions and so on.

The only thing in this world editors of such magazines respect are their reader's credit cards.

I know, some of you will argue that humans being humans will buy the magazine anyway and people forget after some time..... And what can little insignificant me do?
Well, you can start. And if 1.000 do like you, it's a beginning.
If you tell everyone and everybody why you boycot that magazine and don't even read it at the hairdresser or in waitingrooms it may spread.

My point is: The readers have the magazines they deserve. It's up to the readers to do something about it.
 
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The DRF is one of the few (if not the only one) royal houses to go against paparazzi pictures of their children by filing lawsuits etc therefore I am a bit surprised that such pictures are taken now.


By the way, the adults chose to be in public, I guess there are ways to get in and out the hospital for the Dutch Queen other than through the front entrance etc ... they chose to be seen and therefore its ok to take pictures.
 
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19-02-2012 Krankenhaus Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Mabel arrive at the University hospital (Landeskrankenhaus Innsbruck - Universitaetskliniken) in Innsbruck.
PPE agency
 
The DRF is one of the few (if not the only one) royal houses to go against paparazzi pictures of their children by filing lawsuits etc therefore I am a bit surprised that such pictures are taken now.

It's a cost benefit analazys.

The cost of a lawsuit, which they know they will lose, contra the expected increased sales for weeks.
Again, it's up to the readers.
 
I haven't seen any pictures of the children either online or in Dutch newspapers, so I think it is safe to say that the editors are boycotting these. There was an outrage by the NRC readership for 'tabloid tactics' used by their reporter, esp. since the NRC is supposed to be a quality newspaper. So I would say that although there is a sincere public interest, it isn't fair to compare journalists, editors or the general public to vulchars and whatnot.

The pictures at the hospital are taken with the approval of the RF. They probably could use a back door, but after consulting the hospital this was the decision that is made. The media and public interest needs to be channeled in some way and this seems to be the least inconvenient/intruisive way for the family. There is very little else they can do: the media code doesn't apply for 'newsworthy' pictures, as a clausule in the agreement says.

The RVD says that the family is grateful and touched by the support they are getting, so...

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I think that the biggest media frenzy will be over from today onwards btw. The news is that there is no news until the end of the week. So apart from the visits of HM and princess Mabel there is very little to report.
 
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I think that the biggest media frenzy will be over from today onwards btw. The news is that there is no news until the end of the week. So apart from the visits of HM and princess Mabel there is very little to report.

I think it was a good move to come out and say there will be no news for the next few days which will stop people speculating, making up their own stories and expecting news every hour.
 
It won't stop speculation I fear (yesterday several medical experts were interviewed if the 'no news' -thing was a good or a bad sign), but at this point very little will stop it. At least it will be less intense until there is more news. People have an interest to see what will happen, but at the moment probably even the doctors aren't sure. But every day extra in a coma isn't a good sign, esp. considering the original reports that a patient usually is woken up after 3-4 days.
 
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There's that saying, no news is good news.
 
. . . . . By the way, the adults chose to be in public, I guess there are ways to get in and out the hospital for the Dutch Queen other than through the front entrance etc ... they chose to be seen and therefore its ok to take pictures.
I rather think they would have had all the entrances covered. Getting photo's of the NLRF coming and going to and from the hospital could only be bettered if they spotted them trying to sneak in or out. Now those pictures would sell.

I think that Queen Beatrix and Mabel just don't care to play games with the paparazzi when their minds are on something a whole lot bigger. I think they just went for the lesser of two evils.

As to photos of the children? It is great that they are not splashed over the front covers. I hope it will remain so.
 
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An Austrian newspaper wrote that HM decided to go once using the main entrance to give the reporters the chance to report on her sorrow but that the RF will from then on use the underground garage entrance.

A lot of hospitals have underground entrances for emergencies where the ambulance can drive into the building, especially in place where there is lots of snow in winter, so I guess they could enter this way unseen.

Insofar I believe the picture of HM and Princess Mabel had in hand and both in black was meant as a symbol pic to highlight the earnestness of the situation.

It's tough for all people concerned that Florian Moosbrugger, now director of the hotel Post in Lech, childhood friend of Friso and his host at the moment was the one to go skiing off-piste with Friso. Staff told the media that Mr. moosbrugger had already frantically tried to find the prince when the rescuers arrived. I only wonder why Friso had no such airbag? Thsi question apparently is one of the question the prosecution will ask as they opened a file on the accident. Another one is that the officias of Lech told that they had been doing some prevention detonations that morning on this hillside but that no floe avalanche did follow. It is possible that Mr. Moosbrugger thought that due to those known detonations this area was safe enough but that because they did not succeed properly both he and Friso ended up in an avalanche. The report siad that Mr. Moosbrugger is still treated for shock and could not yet be interviewed by the prosecutors. It is not known if he is interviewed as a witness or as a defendant.

Ah, and 24 yo German from Rosenheim (which is in Bavaria, just some minutes from the first slopes) went off-piste at Lech yesterday, did not see a cliff in the mountains that was covered with snow and fell down. Survived but is badly hurt and was taken to Innsbruck hospital... Seems there is nothing to stop people from going off-piste.
 
This is such bad news about the prince fighting for his very life and to make matters worst he is married and has two young daughters.I really want him to get well and recover.My sympathy and thoughts go out to all the members of the Dutch royal family.
 
Seems there is nothing to stop people from going off-piste.

That's something I'll never get... I was in Austria myself last week and all over Tyrol people were warned again and again several times NOT to leave the safe piste.
People were warned via radio, TV, signs at the piste itself etc.. As mentioned before the warning of a descent of an avalache was 4 on a scale of 5. WHY do people have to leave the piste anyway? It's just not responsible.

However: What happened to Friso is horrible. I really hope he'll recover. My thoughts are with his family.
 
According to Patrick van Katwijk, Queen Beatrix and Princess Mabel are at the hospital with Countess Zaria and Mabel's mother, Flos Wisse-Smit.

https://twitter.com/#!/Patrickvkatwijk


They group did not use the main entrance this time, as was to be expected.

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The Telegraaf reports that the Austrian Times claims that Mr. Moosbrugger was the one who saved the prince and dug him out of the snow with his bare hands. Mr. Moosbrugger is a member of the rescue team in Lech.
[URL]http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/11555998/__Vriend_redde_Friso_met_blote_handen__.html


They say that out of respect Mr. Moosbrugger doesn't talk to the press. He himself lost his father due to an accident in the Himalaya btw.

His mother Kristl Moosbrugger tells an Austrian newspaper that her family is deeply shocked by what happened & tht they can only pray and hope for the best.
Innsbrucker Ärzte kämpfen um Prinz Frisos Leben - Lawinendrama - Vorarlberg Online

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The volkskrant has an article about the media reaction: either go along with the hype or stay behind. Millions are watching, liveblogs have 100.000s clicks per hour BUT: there is no news. The former director of the NOS news calls it all 'disgusting' and gutter journalism. What is obvious is that the media is struggling in the amount of reporting of these kind of events.
Meehypen of achterlopen? Media worstelen met Friso-nieuws - Internet & Media - VK
 
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I just found the information that prince Friso did not wear an airbag because of the heavy weight of that. Seems that Florian Moosbrugger, his friend, is an active member of the "Bergwacht" rescue team and thus is trained in carrying heavier weights while going skiing, so he took the airbag-equipment while the prince who might not have been so trained, decided against it.
 
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