How a trip to the water park can break your life: the experience of a neurosurgeon
'29.05.2021'
Source: Air force
Tourists traveling to the beaches and water parks should understand that trying to dive in shallow water or a regular trip to the water park can change your life once and for all, warns a British neurosurgeon specializing in spinal injuries.
One spontaneous extravagant decision to jump from a cliff into the sea or into an insufficiently deep pool can lead to severe injury or even paralysis, and in many cases this is already irreversible, warns neurosurgeon Evan Davis from University Hospital in Southampton, writes Air force.
He recently operated on a patient who broke his spine while jumping off a cliff in Croatia and had no idea that large rocks were hidden under the water.
Another patient seriously injured his cervical vertebra after rolling down a water slide in a water park in Spain. The 23-year-old Briton lost consciousness in Benidorm: if not for the qualified assistance provided on time, he could have remained paralyzed for life.
Dr. Davis urges everyone who goes on vacation to carefully weigh the possible risks, because, according to him, life can completely change in less than a minute.
On the subject: Sinking kids don't cry: water safety tips that can save lives
Assess the hazard yourself
“Many attractions, which on the surface look like completely innocent entertainment that can only tickle your nerves a little, in reality can lead to very serious injuries and disabilities,” says the neurosurgeon.
“I would like to remind you that for many owners of water parks and other attractions, warning visitors about possible health risks is far from a priority task. In addition, the safety requirements and supervision of their observance vary greatly from country to country, ”adds the doctor.
The specialist advises vacationers to independently assess possible health hazards in water parks or on beaches, especially in rocky ones, even in the most advanced countries, and if in any doubt, avoid these places.
Davis says he has patients every year who have been seriously injured on vacation by recklessly jumping into a sea or lake in shallow water.
On the subject: Cruises in America: death, love and the last cake
The main thing, he said, is to make sure how deep the water is, whether there are boulders or man-made objects under its surface, such as pieces of concrete, reinforcement, debris or a bicycle thrown away by someone, and in no case jump headfirst.
“I just operated on my first patient this summer who neglected this advice,” said the doctor.
Dr. Davis has no doubt that others will soon follow this patient.
“Sometimes even the most advanced surgery is powerless in the face of such injuries and cannot repair the damage caused by one moment of recklessness,” concludes the neurosurgeon.
