Dangers of Diving
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Comment| Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 | | CWK Producer |
“I dived into the pool and I hit my head on the bottom…and I couldn’t move.”
– Stephen, Age 10
Ten-year-old Stephen’s diving accident left him in the emergency room, and left his parents with some terrible questions. Will he be paralyzed? Will he need surgery? Is the damage permanent?
The accident happened when Stephen dived into a friend’s pool.
The doctors order X-rays and a C-T scan to find out how serious his neck injury is. Emergency room physician Dr. Carden Johnston says he wants to make sure “we don’t see anything broken.”
Dr. Johnston also does a physical exam. “Let’s see if you can squeeze my hand,” the doctor tells Stephen. Stephen squeezes. “Good! You’re not having any numbness or tingling in your fingers or feet? That’s good.”
Then, the news Stephen and his mom were hoping for: the X-rays are negative, no broken bones in Stephen’s neck. “Thank God he wasn’t paralyzed,” his mom says.
Stephen is sore, but he is sitting up and even walking again. He’ll wear a neck brace for a few days, but Dr. Johnston says Stephen is lucky.
Johnston has this advice: “The slogan is, ‘feet first, first time.’ Can you say that for me? ‘Feet first, first time.’ That’s right!”
Tips for Parents
The risks involved in diving into a pool become clear when you look at the annual statistics: more than 850 spinal injuries caused by diving accidents each year. According to the American Academy of Orthpaedic Surgeons, those injured typically are young men between the ages of 15 and 25, usually guests of the home pool’s owners and are using alcohol at the time of the accident. The majority of these injuries are tetraplegia (paralysis of all four lower limbs resulting from a spinal cord injury).The AAOS estimates the lifetime medical costs and lost wages and benefits to a 25 year-old with tetraplegia can exceed $2.5 million.
The International Parenting Association reminds parents that when it comes to safety around the swimming pool, we set the example for our children. The IPA has some simple rules that children and their parents should follow to prevent diving injuries:
- Never dive into above-ground pools. They are too shallow.
- Don't dive from the side of an in-ground pool. Enter the water feet first.
- Dive only from the end of the diving board and not from the sides.
- Dive with your hands in front of you and always steer up immediately upon entering the water to avoid hitting the bottom or sides of the pool.
- Don't dive if you have been using alcohol or drugs because your reaction time may be too slow.
- Improper use of pool slides presents the same danger as improper diving techniques. Never slide down head first; slide down feet first only.
Pool owners can take some simple steps, too, to make their pools safer. The American Spinal Injury Association recommends:
- Placement of depth markers that are highly visible around the entire pool.
- A clearly-marked diving well.
- A well lighted pool and surrounding areas.
- Scheduled hours for supervised pool use.
- Education of all guests about pool depth and safe diving area.
- Appointment of a person trained in water safety to be ‘on duty’ during pool parties.
- Not serving alcohol or allowing alcohol use by pool guests.
Diving into lakes, ponds and streams can be especially dangerous because often, the depth of the water is unknown, and also because there can be debris hidden beneath the surface. The Medical College of Wisconsin recommends before diving into a natural body of water, always walk in and check the depth. Remove any debris below, then measure and mark the depth so everyone knows the best place to dive.
If you are with someone that suffers a diving injury, call paramedics immediately.
References
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- International Parenting Association, Inc.
- Medical College of Wisconsin
