More than a rumour
**Yes, Michael Schumacher did have a GoPro camera (or more generally, a helmet-mounted camera referred to as a GoPro in many reports) attached to his ski helmet during his December 29, 2013, skiing accident in Méribel, French Alps.**
This is widely reported across reliable sources from the time, including:
- The family voluntarily handed over the **helmet camera** (explicitly described as a **mini GoPro** in outlets like the Daily Mail and various news agencies) to French investigators shortly after the accident.
- Investigators reviewed **footage** from the camera (about 2 minutes long), which showed Schumacher skiing off-piste at the speed of a "very good skier" before hitting a hidden rock, being catapulted forward, and striking his head on another rock. This was confirmed in official statements (e.g., BBC News and prosecutor briefings in Albertville).
The camera itself survived the impact undamaged, while the helmet split into at least two pieces.
There was significant speculation and controversy afterward about whether the **mounting** of the camera contributed to the severity of his brain injury (e.g., by weakening the helmet structure or causing uneven force distribution during the high-impact hit). This led to:
- A French journalist (Jean-Louis Moncet) claiming in 2014 that the mounting of the GoPro "injured his brain" rather than the hit itself, reportedly based on family sources (though he later retracted or downplayed parts of it as opinion).
- Stock prices for GoPro dropping temporarily due to the reports.
- Investigations and tests (e.g., by ENSA in Chamonix) exploring if a solid object like a camera mount could cause the helmet to shatter more severely.
However, no official conclusion definitively blamed the camera for worsening the injury, and the claims remain largely **speculative** or based on unverified rumors (some sources call the "camera piercing the helmet" idea a rumor). Doctors emphasized that the helmet likely saved his life, as the impact would otherwise have been fatal.
In summary: The presence of the helmet-mounted GoPro camera is well-documented fact from the accident reports, footage analysis, and family statements, though its role (if any) in aggravating the injury was debated but never conclusively proven.
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