( 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 . People we 've lost in 2013 .
Crown Prince Johan Alexander suffered a serious injury in an avalanche in February 2012 . After being treated in Switzerland , he stayed at a London hospital for more than a month . He was discharged last week and was sent to The Hague , where he was treated at home .