diving safety tips

(ThinkFirst) – It’s a startling fact that as many as 1,000 spinal cord injuries occur each year due to shallow water diving. With swimming pools officially open, families need to “think first” before diving in for summer fun. According to the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation and the North American Spine Society, 90 percent of all diving injuries cause a spinal cord injury and result in paralysis, specifically quadriplegia.

Nearly 1,000 spinal cord injuries occur each year in the U.S. when persons, predominantly males aged 15-25 years, dive into swimming pools or natural bodies of water. The vast majority of diving injuries occur in 6 feet of water or less.

Here are the "top 10" tips for diving injury prevention:

1. ALWAYS know the depth of water before you dive. When in doubt, test the water before diving by wading or walking into the water feet first. Remember “feet first, first time.”

2. Don’t dive into shallow, open water. Three out of four diving injuries happen in lakes, rivers, oceans, and other natural bodies of water. Be aware that water depths are affected by tides, droughts, floods, etc. These conditions can also mean dangerous underwater debris. NEVER swim or dive alone, always do it with a buddy.

3. Never dive into an aboveground pool or into the shallow end of a pool. ThinkFirst recommends water be at least 11 feet deep for safe diving from the side of a pool or deck.

4. Don’t dive from rooftops, balconies, ledges, fences, retaining walls, ladders, slides, or other pool equipment.

5. To dive safely, hold your head and arms up and steer with your hands. Keep your arms extended over your head during the dive.

6. Don’t dive off the side of a diving board – dive straight ahead and test the diving board for its spring before using.

7. Don’t run and dive. Don’t do a back dive.

8. NEVER drink and dive. According to ThinkFirst, more than half of all serious diving incidents occur when the diver has been drinking. Diving requires clear thinking to judge distance and depth, monitor speed and direction, and coordinate body movements.

9. Always make sure children are supervised by an adult while diving and swimming.

10. If you suspect that someone has sustained a spinal cord injury from a shallow water dive, contact 911 immediately. Approach the victim carefully. Hold the victim’s head in alignment with his or her back and gently turn them onto their back so they can breathe. If possible, have others assist you. Keep the victim’s head and back stabilized and support them with something sturdy (pool equipment, ring buoy, oar, etc.) Most important, do not move a diving victim from the water until the emergency medical team arrives, as movement can cause further damage to the spinal cord.

“As summer nears, it’s critical that parents talk to their children and teens about the real risk of diving injury and share these important tips,” added David Cavanaugh, MD, ThinkFirst chair and neurosurgeon in Shreveport, LA.

ROCHESTER RESOURCE For more information about The North American Spine Society, visit www.spine.org or for the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation, log onto www.thinkfirst.org.