BROADWAY THEATRES dimmed their lights for one minute last night in honour of Natasha Richardson after an autopsy confirmed that the 45- year-old actor died from a blunt injury to the head.
Ms Richardson, who was the wife of Irish actor Liam Neeson, suffered the head injury on Monday after a fall during a ski lesson at a resort north of Montreal. After the death was ruled an accident, New York City medical examiner spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said the cause was “epidural haematoma due to blunt impact to the head”.
A Canadian newspaper has reported that the first ambulance sent to the Mont Tremblant ski resort following Ms Richardson’s fall was turned away because she initially felt no ill effects.
Yves Coderre, director of operations at the emergency services company that sent the paramedics, told the Globe and Mail that ski patrollers requested an ambulance after Ms Richardson fell. He said that when the paramedics arrived, they were told they were not needed.
“They never saw the patient. So they turned around,” he said. “When you have a head trauma you can bleed. It can deteriorate in a few hours or a few days. People don’t realise it can be very serious. We warn them they can die and sometimes they start to laugh. They don’t take it seriously.”
The resort said in a statement that Ms Richardson did not initially appear to be hurt and was walking around shortly after the fall. “She did not show any visible sign of injury but the ski patrol followed strict procedures and brought her back to the bottom of the slope and insisted she should see a doctor,” it said.
When the actor’s condition deteriorated later, another ambulance was sent to her hotel and she was rushed to hospital, first in nearby Sainte-Agathe and then to Montreal. She was airlifted to hospital in New York on Tuesday, where she died the following day.
“The Broadway community is shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our finest young actresses, Natasha Richardson. Her theatrical lineage is legendary, but her own singular talent shined memorably on any stage she appeared,” said Charlotte St Martin, of the Broadway League, a group representing New York theatres and producers.