The helicopter pilot who transported Michael Schumacher to hospital following his devastating 2013 skiing accident has broken his silence more than a decade later, revealing he initially thought it was “a joke” when told they were rescuing the Formula 1 legend. Yannick Dainese, who was working for SAF Hélicoptères on December 29, 2013, has given his first interview about the incident that left the seven-time world champion with a traumatic brain injury.
Speaking to French sports publication L’Equipe, Dainese recalled the moment a rescuer informed him of their high-profile patient. “A rescuer jumped out of the helicopter with the doctor and said to me ‘We’re going to Schumacher!'” he explained. “At first I thought he was joking. But when the commander ordered us to remove our microphones and GoPros, and to forbid journalists from accompanying us, I understood that it was true.”
Despite acknowledging the immense pressure surrounding Schumacher’s reputation, Dainese maintained his professional focus during the emergency transport from the French Alps. “Subconsciously, the pressure was there because I knew he was worshipped like a god,” the pilot admitted. “But for me, he was just another seriously injured person.” The German racing icon, now 57, was placed in an induced coma for six months following the accident and has not been seen publicly since.
The pilot was struck by the extraordinary public response when he returned to the hospital days later for another mission. “What I saw shocked me: there were so many buses, red flags, and people everywhere that the hospital grounds had been transformed into a Formula 1 circuit. It was unbelievable,” Dainese recalled. Schumacher continues to receive round-the-clock medical care at his family’s Lake Geneva residence, with only a select few individuals granted access to visit the motorsport legend in the 12 years since his life-changing accident.