Yesterday, the radio DJ told us about Natasha's freak sking accident. It didn't look good at that point. Later, when combing Wikipedia, I followed a link to 'recent deaths', and learned her fate. She fell on a beginner's trail but "did not show signs of injury until an hour later," as reported by the BBC. "A spokesperson for the resort noted Richardson was not wearing a helmet while skiing and didn't collide with anything when she fell." (Abcnews reports)

She felt fine at first. "An ambulance sent to the ski hill where actress Natasha Richardson suffered a fatal fall on Monday was turned away, a paramedic said."News source.

Would wearing an helmet prevented her death? It's hard to say without knowing more about the accident. "But even absent an external injury, Flamm said, a tear in a blood vessel near the brain -- termed either an "epidural hematoma" or a "subdural hematoma," depending on its exact location -- may have placed gradual increasing pressure on her brain, leading to worsening headaches and, eventually, loss of consciousness."(Abcnews reports)

It's just a terrible tragedy. Natasha was only forty five years old and I can well imagine her husband Liam Neeson and their two sons are devastated.