The National
Spinal Cord
Injury Association

Disability in the News.

Teach young swimmers to think of safety before they dive.

By Tracy Boyd / Detroit News Health Writer

TROY -- Jim Boyd of Troy never dreamed that a hot summer day in 1974 would change his life.

Boyd and his buddies were jumping off the roof of a single-story home into the deep end of an above-ground pool.

Boyd, then 15, leaped off the roof as he had safely done hundreds of times. But when he landed in just 5 feet of water, he hit his head, dislocating two vertebrae in his neck and becoming a quadriplegic for life.

"I tell kids two things," says Boyd, 39. "One: Listen to your parents when they tell you not to do something. Two: Never swim alone. I owe my life to my friend because I couldn't get back to the surface of the pool."

Diving accidents are the No. 1 cause of sports-related spinalcord injuries, says Dr. Nancy DeSantis, medical director of the spinal cord injury unit at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, part of the Detroit Medical Center.

Diving accidents usually cause serious injuries: More than 95 percent of victims who hit their heads on the pool or lake bottom become quadriplegic -- unable to move upper and lower extremities. Most are males between the ages of 16 and 30.

Many accidents, like Boyd's, involve risky behavior. "They jump off a roof into a pool, or they try to do a funny dive to entertain their friends," DeSantis says. Children need to be educated about the inherent dangers of diving, she says. "Parents need to be firm and say, these things are not allowed."

Boyd has made the most of his life, although it wasn't what he expected at age 15: He works for medical supplier Wright and Filippis in Rochester Hills, plays wheelchair rugby, competes in local marathons and lectures frequently to kids about the dangers of diving and handicap awareness.

He emphasizes the importance of thinking before acting. "I always tell kids, the difference between you and me is a few seconds," he says.

Dive with caution

To avoid a tragic accident, follow the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan's safety tips for diving:

• Know the depth of the water. A minimum of 10 feet is recommended for adults.
• Never dive alone.
• Lakes and residential pools are not designed for competitive diving, so don't attempt difficult dives.
• Never dive into an above-ground pool.
• Never dive from a ladder or rooftop into a residential pool.
• In a natural body of water, wade into the water first to check for rocks, tree limbs, sand bars and other objects.
• Never dive when you have been drinking, because it impairs your judgment.

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