A Shocking Turn of Events: The Tragic Death of Prince Friso of the Netherlands at 44

Prince Friso died on August 12, 2013, at the age of 44. The Dutch royal had been in a coma for a year and a half following a skiing accident in Austria. As reported by the BBC, he died from complications resulting from brain damage attributed to the accident on February 17, 2012, in Lech.

It was only the month before his death that King Willem-Alexander's brother had been brought back to the Netherlands from a hospital in London. After that, further complications arose.

The accident occurred off the marked slopes while Friso was skiing with friends in Lech. An avalanche swept him away and buried him under the snow for 15 minutes. An emergency transmitter he was carrying helped rescue workers locate him.

Doctors in Innsbruck later reported that the resuscitation took some time. During that time, the prince suffered severe brain damage. He also experienced cardiac arrest for about 50 minutes.

After receiving initial treatment in Austria, the prince was flown to London for further care. There, he was admitted to the private Wellington Hospital, which has a specialized neurology department. The family held out hope for his recovery for many months.

In July 2013, Friso was finally transferred back to the Netherlands. Shortly thereafter, his condition deteriorated once again. His death was later confirmed in a statement from the royal family.

"Prince Friso died from complications related to hypoxic brain damage he sustained as a result of his skiing accident in Lech, Austria, on February 17, 2012," according to a statement from the palace reported by bbc.com.

At the time of his death, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were on vacation in Greece and were on their way back home. Friso's death occurred in the first few months following the succession to the throne in the Netherlands—Queen Beatrix had abdicated in April.

Shortly before his coronation as king, Willem-Alexander spoke in April 2013 about his family’s situation. According to the BBC, he called it a “terrible situation” that his family had been living with for more than a year. Friso’s wife and his mother, Beatrix, had tried every day to be there for him.

Prince Friso is survived by his wife, Mabel Wisse Smit, and his two children, Emma and Joanna. His story touched the hearts of the Dutch people long after the accident.