back to article SAP CEO McDermott loses AN EYE, almost his life in horror plunge

SAP boss Bill McDermott lost an eye in a freak accident that almost killed him, it emerged on Wednesday. The 54-year-old CEO was walking down stairs at night carrying a glass of water in his left hand when he slipped and landed on the tumbler. McDermott, who was staying with his brother in the US at the time of the spill in …

  1. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse

    Best of luck to him on his recovery.

    Luckily his eyes were in an active-active configuration so the failover was almost immediate with no downtime... but there will be an unfortunate 50% loss of service.

    1. Desidero

      Re: Best of luck to him on his recovery.

      I thought Tumblr was already virtualized.

      Tumbling with tumbler = (tumblr)^2, exponential growth.

      Memo to self: keep head in the clouds, but feet on the ground.

      Sadly, "keep your eye on the horizon" was a bit too literal.

  2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    WTF?

    Wow. Minor accident, massive consequences.

    I can sort of see this happening but it it's right on the edge of "unfortunate."

    1. Paul Crawford Silver badge
      Unhappy

      Re: Wow. Minor accident, massive consequences.

      I think "freak" is more accurate than "unfortunate".

      Still, a sobering thought as to how an apparently minor incident could be so bad. Guess its up there with folk who die having tripped and fallen on dishwashers with the knives packed pointy-end upwards.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: tripped and fallen on dishwashers with the knives packed pointy-end upwards

        "Yes, officer, that's exactly what happened to my mother-in-law."

        Sorry, it is in bad taste but I couldn't resist.

        1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

          Re: tripped and fallen on dishwashers with the knives packed pointy-end upwards

          This exact case happened in Sweden. Except it was the wife on the knife. Verdict: Accident.

  3. Drudgery Leak

    People die all the time and statistically this is most likely to happen where you spend most time - in your own home.

    The cynic in me would suspect maybe alcohol had played a part in this? Or possibly even a second party and violence. I'm sure that's not the case though. Get well soon chap.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I feel slightly sorry for the guy

    Not SAP though, they can die in a fire. Horrible, bureaucratic, incompetent organisation that definitely doesn't have customers' interests at heart.

  5. Mike Shepherd

    "It’s important to stand up after you’ve fallen down"

    Where would we be without the philosophy of the Great and Good to help us through our sorry lives?

    1. Killing Time

      Re: "It’s important to stand up after you’ve fallen down"

      Yeah, that canned statement sounds as if it has been lifted straight out of a corporate motivational seminar. To my mind it lacks authenticity to say the least. Sad that certain types cannot drop out of character even for a moment to demonstrate that they share emotions like the rest of us.

    2. tony2heads
      Happy

      Re: "It’s important to stand up after you’ve fallen down"

      I think Chumbawamba stated it better.

  6. Aaiieeee
    Unhappy

    Grim

    It makes me queasy just to think about what it must be like as it happened.

  7. jake Silver badge

    One wonders ...

    ... why did his system need hydrating at that hour, to the point that after having access to water, he felt the need to carry a glass downstairs?

    Most of us have a plastic bottle of water on the bedside table ...

    1. fajensen

      Re: One wonders ...

      Meh - I have the toilet 3 meters from my bedroom. Easier. That water needs evacuating too (and the dog needs stepping on in the dark also).

    2. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: One wonders ...

      Most of us have a plastic bottle of water on the bedside table ...

      One jake detected!

    3. John Tserkezis

      Re: One wonders ...

      "... why did his system need hydrating at that hour, to the point that after having access to water, he felt the need to carry a glass downstairs?

      Most of us have a plastic bottle of water on the bedside table ..."

      Due to medication, I end up peeing several times a night, and if I don't rehydrate, I'll be as dry as a dead dingo's elbow by the time the morning comes.

      That's why some of our systems need hydrating "at that hour". I go through between 2 and 5 litres a night, but that's just me.

      And before I'm downvoted for "stop drinking so much and you'll stop peeing", you may wish to know that if I maintain a healthy level of dehydration (drink like normal plebs like yourself), I'll lose my kidneys in a few years through medication damage. So there.

    4. Glenturret Single Malt

      Re: One wonders ...

      Most of us have an empty plastic container for water by the bedside?

  8. Otto is a bear.

    Mundane

    Such accidents are usually far more mundane than you might expect, I'd go for catching a toe in PJ trousers, missing a step in the dark, slipping in mule slippers, or a child's toy on the stairs.

    Keeping a bottle of water by the bed doesn't seem very eco-friendly to me, and what happens if you need more, I guess that's a trip downstairs as well.

    A speedy recovery to you sir.

    1. Goldmember

      Re: Mundane

      "Keeping a bottle of water by the bed doesn't seem very eco-friendly to me"

      Er, plastic bottles don't self-destruct after you've finished your first use, you know. They can be refilled and - gasp - used again!

      Also, they have screw tops so don't spill in case a flailing arm wipes them out during sleep. And of course are not made of glass, so can't shatter and go through your eye socket.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Great pickup opportunities though ...

    The scarring and the eye-patch would announce a true German gentleman who went to the very strictest and most traditional engineering schools - where they, to this day, still practice Mensur Fencing - a.k.a. cutting each others faces up with real swords or be called a poof.

    The wimmen will love it.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_fencing

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Great pickup opportunities though ...

      Indeed. "Burschenschaften", "schmeissend" or not, are way more important for the upper crust seats than a good linkedin profile.

      This here CEO can now claim to be "Big Boss".

  10. David 45

    You-know-what happens

    And did to a friend of mine recently who also slipped on some concrete steps but carrying a bottle (sober, I might add!). Hand and bottle made contact on landing as bottle shattered, causing major damage to blood vessels, tendons and nerves, not to mention an enormous gash right down the palm and two fingers with considerable blood loss. Thankfully, after a four-hour operation to repair everything, she seems to be on the mend, with movement and feeling returning to fingers, but it just shows how easily these things can happen.

  11. Sgt_Oddball

    Awww no fair.

    I've barely got any cool scars from the bits that have been reattached, broken, or otherwise punctured.

    That said I'd rather have both eyes. Still good to see he's on the mend and not letting it get to him.

    (finger tip, thumb in bits, 6 inch nail through foot, 3 different gashes on my head with stitching all covered by hair, lost count of the broken ribs)

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    bit of sympathy?

    I'll flame, argue, have fanboi rage with the best of them, but seriously... the guy had an accident and lost an eye.

    Let's be a bit sympathetic eh? It could have been any one of us or anyone we know. Good luck to the man.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: bit of sympathy?

      Well said, tombo.

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