Natasha Richardson dies at 45 after skiing accident

Actress Natasha Richardson has died in hospital in New York following a skiing accident.

The famous family of the acclaimed actress had gathered at Lenox Hill hospital amid reports that a head injury she suffered during the accident had left her near death.
Richardson's husband Liam Neeson released the following statement: "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha.
"They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."The statement did not give details on the cause of death.
A neurologist told the LA Times that Richardson most likely died from delayed bleeding from an artery in her brain.
Christopher Giza, from the Brain Injury Research Centre at UCLA, said the condition was known as "walk and die" syndrome and followed an injury.
Patients appeared unaffected immediately after the injury, but symptoms developed within an hour and usually included impaired speech and vision, Dr Giza told the LA Times.
Patients fall into a coma soon afterwards and can die in severe cases, he said.
"In general, to have this kind of hemorrhage, you have to experience a significant amount of force," Dr Giza said.
A neurosurgeon told the newspaper such injuries were uncommon but did happen.
"That's why, when a person has a head injury, we like to observe them for 24 hours to make sure no delayed bleeding occurs," Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre surgeon, Keith Black, said.
The only way to fix a blood clot when it formed was to perform emergency surgery and relieve pressure by draining the blood, Dr Giza said. Dr Black also said it was possible Richardson tore an artery in her neck, which would trigger similar symptoms but pose a more lethal threat.
London's Daily Telegraph reported that Richardson, a novice skier, was not wearing a helmet, which are mandatory for children, but discretionary for adults.
Richardson, 45, was flown to Lenox Hill hospital on Manhattan's Upper East Side from Montreal on a private jet yesterday, accompanied by her husband.
She was transferred from Montreal "at the request of the family", Josee-Michelle Simard, a spokeswoman for Sacre-Coeur hospital said.Family members had been seen coming and going from the New York hospital where Richardson was taken.Vanessa Redgrave, Richardson's mother, arrived at the hospital in a car with darkened windows and was taken through a garage. An hour earlier, Richardson's sister, Joely, arrived alone and entered through the back of the hospital.Monday's mishap occurred at the Mont Tremblant ski resort where Richardson fell during a skiing lesson on a beginner's trail.

"She did not show any visible sign of injury," the resort said. But, following strict procedures, the local skiing patrol and her instructor accompanied her back to her hotel and "insisted she should see a doctor".
An hour later, Richardson "was not feeling good" and an ambulance was called to take her to the Centre Hospitalier Laurentien in Ste-Agathe, Quebec. She was later transferred to Sacre-Coeur hospital in Montreal, the resort said.
Neeson, who has been married to Richardson since 1994, flew from the set of the movie Chloe in Toronto to be with his wife.In 1998, Richardson won a Tony award for her role in the musical Cabaret, and she appeared in films such as The Parent Trap, Maid in Manhattan and Evening.
Other movie credits include The Handmaid's Tale, Gothic, A Month In The Country and Nell, in which she appeared with Neeson, whose most celebrated screen turn was in Schindler's List.
Born in May 1963, Richardson was educated in London and trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in the city, which has groomed a host of British actors.
Her extensive stage experience included a number of Shakespearean roles, among them Ophelia in Hamlet and Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
The Redgrave clan is one of Britain's most famous stage and screen dynasties.
Vanessa, Corin and their sister Lynn are the children of Rachel Kempson and Michael Redgrave, who played in such British classics as the 1938 film The Lady Vanishes and the 1969 film Goodbye, Mr Chips.
Joely is also an actress and is starring in the television drama Nip/Tuck.