As a Neurosurgeon, spinal fractures of the neck from diving accidents are things that I see way too often. This young man dove from a boat into shallow water. He presented with some numbness in his arm and hand.
He had a fracture with the instability of his cervical spine at C5, requiring anterior and posterior surgery to decompress the nerve roots and stabilize his unstable cervical spine. He was lucky! His numbness improved, and he made a full recovery.
Too many others are paralyzed permanently from similar diving accidents. Never dive from a boat or anywhere in shallow water or water that is not absolutely safe for diving!
