Cristobal Guerrero's Life is Out of Danger

Cristobal Guerrero, taken to hospital following his crash during stage 10 of the Dakar Rally

The latest medical reports from Copiapo reveal that Cristobal Guerrero's condition has improved over the last few hours. The Argentine medical staff confirmed that, while still in coma, the patient's condition is no longer life-threatening.

“The patient is in the same medical conditions as a few hours ago, in a coma, but his life is no longer in danger,” a medical source from Copiapo's Intensive Care unit told the media, according to news agency EFE.

Also, according to Spanish newspaper Marca, a paramedic revealed that Guerrero has been watched the entire time he has been on intensive care and can now breathe normally through the machines. “His medical state is mostly the same, but it seems, little by little, he's coming out of the life-threatening condition,” he allegedly told local media.

The Spaniard crashed his bike in the dune sections some 180 kilometers into Stage 10 of the Dakar Rally (in the Atacama desert). The organizers' helicopter arrived to the scene approximately half-an-hour later (28 minutes, according to the Argentine media) and immediately took him to the nearest hospital, in Copiapo.

This was the third life-threatening incident of this year's Dakar Rally, following the Stage 1 accident involving British drivers Paul Green and Matthew Harrison – resulting in thorax and spleen injuries – and the death of French motorcyclist Pascal Terry whose body was found on January 7th, 3 days after he went missing following Stage 3 of the competition.

The Dakar Rally organizers decided to scrap off Stage 11 of the initial schedule due to foggy conditions that would make helicopter survey over the stage close to impossible.