Dutch Prince May Never Regain Consciousness

Photo taken on May 27, 2011 shows Dutch Princess Mabel and Prince Friso arriving at the concert building in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to attend Princess Maxima's birthday party. A son of Dutch Queen Beatrix, Prince Johan Friso was injured in an avalanche while skiing in the western Austrian ski resort of Lech on February 17, 2012, the Austria Press Agency reported. The Dutch royal apparently spent 15 minutes under the snow before he was rescued and evacuated to Innsbruck university hospital, but no further details about his condition was known, APA said. AFP PHOTO / ANP / ROYAL IMAGES / TOUSSAINT KLUITERS -- The Netherlands out -- (Photo credit should read TOUSSAINT KLUITERS/AFP/Getty Images) — Prince Johan Friso and his wife Mabel (Toussaint Kluiters, AFP / Getty Images)

Dutch Prince Johan Friso, injured in an avalanche last week, may never regain consciousness, doctors treating him in Austria say.

According to the trauma specialists at the Inssbruck hospital where the 43 year-old Prince is being treated, the Prince’s heart stopped beating for around 50 minutes after he was buried by an avalanche a week ago today.

The Austrian Times says, ‘Whether the Prince will wake up again is now unclear.’

Prince Friso, who had been on a skiing holiday in the Austrian resort of Lech, lay buried under snow for 23 minutes before being rescued, and it then took some time to restart his heart. The Prince was skiing with his childhood friend Florian Moosbrugger when the avalanche, reportedly measuring about 30m (yds) wide by 40m long, struck a week ago. Nobody else was hurt.

The prince, 43, is the second son of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. However he is not in line for the throne since marrying in 2004 without the government's permission.