Natasha Richardson dies

Ach, this is a horrible story. Natasha Ricahrdson, the actress wife of Liam Neeson, has died of brain injuries sustained in a fall while skiing.

The thing is, from the reports, it wasn't actually a bad fall. It was on a beginners' slope and she wasn't going fast. She got up and walked away and only complained of feeling ill later.

Britain's bestselling daily tabloids the Daily Mirror and The Sun dedicated their front pages to the news, expressing shock felt by the family and wider public that what had appeared a relatively minor fall on the slopes had ended in tragedy.

In a statement released just before midnight London time, family spokesman Alan Nierob said: "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."

Richardson had been hospitalized in New York since Tuesday, surrounded by her husband, actor Liam Neeson, her two sons Michael, 13, and Daniel Jack, 12, and members of her immediate family including her mother, actress Vanessa Redgrave.

It's just weird that such a minor fall should lead to her death. It has to be said though, that she wasn't wearing a helmet:

Following are other famous people who died due to skiing accidents as well as statistics on skiing and helmet use.

* Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, son of the late U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, died in 1997 after striking a tree while skiing in Aspen, Colorado. He was 39.

* Sonny Bono, a singer and entertainer who entered politics and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, died after hitting a tree in 1998 while skiing near South Lake Tahoe, California. He was 62.

* Michel Trudeau, son of the late Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, was swept into a lake by an avalanche in 1998 while skiing at British Columbia's Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. His body was never found. He was 23.

* John McWethy, a longtime national security correspondent for U.S. network ABC, died in 2008 after striking a tree in Keystone, Colorado. He was 60.

Skiing can be dangerous.