“The only safe dive is the one you never take,” claimed an infographic from Shepherd Center. Is it true that diving puts you at risk? How serious is the connection between sustaining a spinal cord injury and diving into shallow water?
July is the number-one month for diving injuries by a wide margin. Here are 5 facts you need to know to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
Fact 1: Diving is the fourth leading cause of paralyzing spinal cord injuries.
According to Shepherd Center, diving makes the list of the top five causes of spinal cord injuries with paralysis. 89% of individuals who get hurt diving are male and 11% are female. Most individuals who are injured are between 20 and 29 years old.
Fact 2: There are multiple ways to sustain an injury while diving.
There are multiple ways to sustain paralysis or a spinal cord injury diving into shallow water based on the location and structure of the spinal cord. The severity of disability depends on the level of the spinal cord where the damage occurs.
The vertebrae of the spine, separated by intervertebral fibrous discs, protects the nervous system’s spinal cord. It is possible to damage the spinal cord by injuring the vertebrae and discs or by injuring the spinal cord itself. “Severe damage to the cord and nerves emerging from the vertebral column will cause paralysis,” reported WHO.
A user forum on Apparelyzed highlighted some of the many ways that diving can lead to a life-altering injury:
“My husband dove into a pool on Labor Day weekend. He is a C4.”
“My spouse dove into a sponge pit. He is now a C5/6.”
“[To me] dives must include anything headfirst, whether it be into lakes, swimming pools, the sea, trampolines or bouncy castles.”
“I made a conscious though foolish decision to launch myself from my patio roof into an above ground pool ten feet away. It was a calculated risk that turned ugly. C5/6 anterior incomplete, with all the bells and whistles.”
“I dove into a surfboard. C7 complete.”
“Dumped on the seabed by a huge wave…C4/5 complete.”
“When you swim competitively, you dive into the pool at the shallow end from a racing block. I was goofing around and dove too deep and hit the bottom.”
“I dove off a 70-foot-high cliff and was fine. Then I dove into a shallow area (of water) from about 6 to 7 feet and hit the sand on the bottom, fracturing my spine at C5/6.”
Fact 3: Water can be deceptive, even if you are a good judge of depth.
Many individuals who sustained a spinal cord injury from diving echo the same lament: “I thought I had good perception skills. I thought I could trust myself to stay safe.” The truth is that water often appears to be deeper than it is, which can lead to devastating errors of judgment even for experienced swimmers and divers.
“The physics of what happens is unforgiving, as a diver can enter the water at 15 feet per second. Most of these accidents occur in water that is less than 3 feet deep,” explained Dr. Robert Bohinski in a PSA from Mayfield Clinic. “These accidents [are] completely preventable.”
Fact 4: A single dive can alter your life forever.
In 2014, Help Hope Live fundraising client Dillon Connolly was swimming with friends when he performed a simple dive from one area of the water to another. Storms had created a sandbar beneath the water, and the impact shattered Dillon’s C5-C7 vertebrae. What followed was “the longest year of Dillon’s life,” explained girlfriend Kerry Sheridan. “Immediate surgery, nearly a month of intensive care, three months of intensive physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and lifestyle adaptations.”
Dillon explained that being an experienced swimmer isn’t enough to protect you from a dive that can severely alter the rest of your life. “I swam my entire life competitively,” he explained. “It even paid for college. I broke my neck diving into a wave where the sandy bottom went from deep to too shallow. I tell everyone I meet who asks what happened to never dive unless you can see the bottom, and to tell their kids and friends, too.”
Cole Sydnor was 16 when a diving accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. “The average person may not understand the extent to which our injuries affect us ‘behind the scenes,” Cole explained in an interview. “Most people…are never exposed to what it takes for [us] to shower, dress, use the restroom, etc. Those are the hardest parts about living with a spinal cord injury.”
To add to the physical and emotional challenges, spinal cord injuries can come along with a host of pricey out-of-pocket expenses. “Any medical expenses deemed unnecessary by insurance fall on my family and it becomes their responsibility to make those purchases,” Cole explained. “My elevator, room and bathroom renovation, and truck were all expenses that our community rallied to help fund.”
Cole and his family were vocal advocates for swimming and diving safety with the No What UR Divin’ N2 campaign. “I’ve been able to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries and spread a message about the importance of diving safety to youth in my community,” Cole said. Cole and his wife, Charisma, are influential content creators with their YouTube channel about life as an interracial and interabled couple: Roll with Cole & Charisma.
Jeff Granger Harris broke his neck diving into the ocean in 2007. “He ran in to jump over a wave like me and him had done 20,000 times,” explained Jeff’s brother, Greg. Jeff hit his head “at the right angle, at the right speed, at the right tilt of the universe” and became paralyzed. “Anything you’re used to doing, you can’t do anymore in Jeff’s situation,” noted Greg.
Jeff will face lifelong physical and financial challenges because of a split-second dive. “This is the only life that I have and I’m going to make the best of it. Help Hope Live allows you some of that ability through fundraising,” he said. Fundraising has helped Jeff to bridge the gap between what insurance will cover and what he needs for a fulfilling and engaging life. Watch the video:
Lauren Shevchek had been swimming competitively for over a decade. At age 19, she dove into a pool and fractured three cervical vertebrae. She lost feeling from her chest downward.
Lauren worked through months of inpatient rehabilitation to regain some of her independence. She is beginning to recover some feeling beneath her injury site, though she mostly only experiences those sensations as pain. As her mother, Janice, explained, “We have learned to celebrate any sensation, including pain, as a sign that things are reconnecting.”
Lauren and her family speak publicly about the risk of sustaining a spinal cord injury by diving into shallow water or water with an unknown depth. Janice explained why she is a vocal advocate for diving safety. “Teens in particular are shocked when I mention that paralysis is not just about walking. It’s about losing your ability to urinate and move your bowels on your own,” Janice said. “Once they begin to understand, they will never forget how devastating the injury is.”
Today, Lauren is also a dedicated Help Hope Live ambassador, helping others in her situation to get financial assistance after a spinal cord injury through community-based fundraising.
Fact 5: You can make a difference.
You have a responsibility to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from preventable diving-related spinal cord injuries. Here are a few things you can do right now:
- Educate yourself about safe behaviors and share what you learn with your loved ones.
- Always swim with a lifeguard.
- Enter water feet first, even if you do not plan to dive.
- Don’t dive at all to maximize your chances of preventing injury and paralysis.
- Take the Feet First Pledge! Save and share the graphic below or share it via Facebook or Twitter.
“Have the conversations,” urged Janice Shevchek. “Share Lauren’s slogan with kids: ‘If you can’t see through it, don’t dive into it.‘ Never dive headfirst into water you can’t see through, no matter how experienced you are. And don’t ever act on a dare or try risky stunts. The consequences just aren’t worth it.”
Finding Assistance After a Spinal Cord Injury Diving Accident
If you or someone you love sustained a spinal cord injury diving into shallow water, help is available. Our national nonprofit can help you navigate financial assistance for spinal cord injury patients.
You can start a fundraising campaign with Help Hope Live that is tax deductible, medically verified, and won’t jeopardize your state-based benefits.
Join SCI advocates like Lauren and Cole and find the help you need: submit a campaign request and start your fundraising campaign with Help Hope Live today.
Written by Emily Progin
