Tributes pour in for Richardson after skiing death

Richardson was injured on Monday when she fell on a beginners' slope during a private ski lesson at the Mont Tremblant resort, about 75 miles (120 km) north of Montreal.

A spokeswoman for the resort said Richardson appeared to be in good condition after the fall, but her instructor called a ski patrol to take her to the bottom of the hill.

About an hour later, she complained of severe headaches and was admitted to a local facility before moving to a Montreal hospital where she was diagnosed with severe brain trauma.

"A blow to the head can cause a bruise or rupture a blood vessel that slowly swells, causing pressure to build up inside the skull," said Chris Chandler, neurosurgeon at King's College Hospital in London.

"If that pressure is not relieved it can kill."