Germany in shock after prime-time TV accident

December 6, 2010

Agence France-Presse – Sun, 5 Dec 12:28 PM EST

A contestant in one of Germany's most popular TV shows was in intensive care

with serious spine injuries on Sunday after a stunt watched by millions of

viewers went horribly wrong.

" Wetten, dass...? " ( " You want a bet? " ) on public channel ZDF sees members of the

public attempt daring feats, interspersed with celebrity chat, and regularly

attracts some 10 million viewers.

But Koch's attempt to leap lengthways over a moving car wearing

spring-loaded stilts -- he had already jumped over several others -- ended with

the 23-year-old lying motionless face-down on the floor.

The prime-time Saturday evening show, a national institution, was abandoned for

the first time in its 29-year history as Koch was rushed to hospital where he

regained consciousness and was able to speak.

ZDF said on Sunday that Koch had suffered " serious spinal injuries " and had been

put into an artificial coma after doctors operated on him for two and a half

hours.

The show's host, Gottschalk, was interviewed live on the late news on

national television, defending the decision to let Koch attempt his stunt.

" In 29 years we have had lots of dangerous bets, young people climbing up walls

and one young man who jumped over a house on a skateboard, and the worst we have

ever had is a broken leg, " a solemn Gottschalk said.

" I ate with the young man (Koch) and I was reassured to see how much he was

looking forward to the show, how motivated he was ... I am so sorry that it

ended like this. "

He added in another interview: " If I had had the impression that he wanted to do

something that he wasn't capable of I would have forbidden him from taking part.

" But I didn't have this impression at any time. "

The future of the show now appears uncertain, with critics saying that the

stunts had become more and more dangerous over the years as ZDF has battled for

viewers.

" Even if the contestant gets better, as hopefully he will, there will definitely

be consequences from this accident, " the influential Spiegel magazine said on

its website.

The local Badische Zeitung daily quoted Koch as saying before the show that he

had fallen " badly " twice in rehearsals on Thursday.

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