New York - The family of Natasha Richardson gathered at her hospital bedside Wednesday for a final, tragic vigil after the British born actress, 45, was critically injured in a Canadian skiing accident.

Richardson's family has declined to comment on her condition as speculation swirled as to the extent of her injuries.

But numerous outlets reported that she was brain dead and that her family was facing the agonizing decision to take her off life support.

People magazine quoted a family friend as saying that Richardson had "no chance."

"It is a fact that her heart is beating but she is brain dead," said the source. "It's not official yet but they will detach her."

Richardson was injured Monday afternoon in a seemingly innocuous fall while skiing on a bunny slope at the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada.

According to a spokesperson for the ski resort, Richardson fell during a private lesson Monday on a beginners' slope while not wearing a helmet. She managed to walk back to her room and was laughing and joking. But she was taken to hospital an hour later when she started having headaches.

"She did not show any visible sign of injury, but the ski patrol followed strict procedures and brought her back to the bottom of the slope and insisted she should see a doctor," said a statement from the resort, which is some 125 kilometers north-west of Montreal. She was flown back to New York on a private jet.

Richardson is a member of the Redgrave acting dynasty and wife of actor Liam Neeson, who left a Toronto movie shoot to be at her side in Montreal, the CTV network reported.

Neeson and Richardson have been married since 1994 and have two sons, Micheal Richard Antonio, 13, and Daniel Jack, 12, who were reportedly skiing with her when the accident happened.

Richardson won a Tony Award for playing Sally Bowles in a Broadway production of Cabaret in 1998. She has starred in Nell, The Parent Trap and more than 30 film and television productions. (dpa)