Dutch Prince Friso dies 17 months after avalanche

By CNN Staff

updated 11:59 AM EDT, Mon August 12, 2013

Dutch Prince Johan Friso with Princess Mabel and Princess Marilene in 2006 in Almere, the Netherlands.

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(CNN) -- Dutch Prince Johan Friso died Monday, more than 17 months after he suffered a severe brain injury in an avalanche, the Dutch royal family announced on its website.

Prince Friso, 44, was in what the family called "a state of minimal consciousness" after he was caught in an avalanche at an Austrian ski resort in February 2012.

He was skiing with friends outside the bounds of the Lech am Arlberg ski resort when the avalanche hit him, and he suffered a lack of oxygen while he was under the snow before being rescued, officials said. His doctor at the time said he had suffered brain damage.

After receiving treatment in Austria, he was transferred to a London hospital, where he stayed for more than a year. He was discharged last month and was sent to The Hague, where he continued to receive medical care at home.

His brother, Willem-Alexander, is king of the Netherlands.

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Dutch Prince Friso dies 17 months after avalanche