A young British woman, age 23, was given just a 5% chance of survival after a life-threatening skiing accident — and shared the story of her “miracle” recovery.
A young woman who was given just a 5% chance of survival after suffering a horrific skiing accident is calling her recovery a “miracle.”
Olivia Corbiere, 23, suffered a brain bleed, lung damage, a broken pelvis and three fractured vertebrae when she fell 15 feet down a ravine in Bansko, Bulgaria, during a ski outing in March 2024, news agency SWNS reported.
Initially, doctors told Corbiere’s parents, Linzi Corbiere and Sebastien Corbiere, that their daughter had a limited chance of pulling through — and might never talk again if she did.
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“We were told she had a 5% chance of living and may not speak,” the mother said, according to SWNS.
Corbiere, a kitchen designer from England, had gone on the five-day spring ski trip with a group of close friends and her 19-year-old-sister, Phoebe.
On March 17, the group got up early for a day of skiing in the mountains. But shortly before lunch, things took a terrible turn.
“We were having a conversation about where we were going to eat,” said Corbiere. “That was one of the last things I remember before my accident.”
As she was heading along a ski path, her right ski crossed over her left and she began to lose control. The warm weather had melted the snow in such a way that Corbiere couldn’t turn her skis as she normally would, SWNS reported.
Corbiere slipped and then tumbled over the edge and down into a ravine.
Three of her fellow skiers jumped into the ravine to rescue her while the others called emergency services.
“The actions of my sister and my friends that day are the reason I’m here,” she said via SWNS. “They didn’t even think for a second not to jump in, and they could have hurt themselves. They are incredible. They’re fabulous. They’re amazing.”
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Corbiere was rushed to the hospital, where medics said they had “never seen” a head injury like hers.
The accident also left her with three fractured vertebrae, a broken pelvis, a broken eye socket and a broken nose, as reported by SWNS.
Given a life-threatening brain bleed, she endured four hours of emergency surgery, during which specialists removed part of her skull.
Once she was back in the U.K. for continued medical treatment, doctors warned her parents to prepare for a long recovery lasting several months or perhaps years.
But Corbiere, who has no recollection of the five-week period following her accident, began to improve more quickly than expected.
“When I moved from the intensive care ward onto the neuro ward, it was about three or four days after that, my memory started to come back,” she said.
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Corbiere still has some hearing loss and nerve damage on the right side of her face — affecting her eyelid movement — along with a wound at the back of her head.
However, Corbiere’s mother said her daughter’s progress since the accident feels like a miracle.
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“We were told she had a 5% chance of living and may not speak, but she’s done all that, she’s proved them wrong. She’s getting stronger every day.”
The mom added, “Now, she can laugh and joke about herself and things like that – that’s really, really good. We’re absolutely over the moon.”
Corbiere has now returned home — and she’s even been able to enjoy meals out with her family.
Her story has been widely shared, including on a fundraising page — and she said she’s stunned by how many people from all over the world have offered their sympathies after hearing about her accident, per SWNS.
“There are just so many good people in the world,” she said. “I can’t be any more grateful.”
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One supporter wrote to the family, “Thinking of you all. I can’t imagine how tough this must be for you.”
Despite the traumatic injuries, Corbiere said she hopes to hit the slopes again soon.
“I’ve skied for years. I absolutely love it, and I shouldn’t let something that was a complete accident put me off something I enjoy doing,” she said.
“When I’m fully better and well, I’d love to try it again.”
