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- $Unique_ID{BRK00267}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Why Did They Take the Diving Board Off of the Local Pool?}
- $Subject{swimming pool diving safety Accidents accident cause spinal cord
- injuries injury athletic activities kill deaths nervous system}
- $Volume{O-1}
- $Log{
- Sagittal Section of the Spine*0006804.scf
- Hyperextension Injury of the Spinal Cord*0006805.scf
- Flexion Injury of the Spinal Cord*0006806.scf
- Compression Injury of the Spinal Cord*0006807.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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-
- Why Did They Take the Diving Board Off of the Local Pool?
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-
- QUESTION: They took the diving board off of our local pool. Why?
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- ANSWER: Diving--going head first into water--can be dangerous. Diving is a
- leading cause of spinal cord injuries among athletic activities, causing about
- 1,300 spinal cord injuries per year. Diving injuries also kill, but these
- deaths are classed as drownings and so their number is uncertain.
- There are several easy ways to reduce the chance of a diving injury.
- Most injuries occur during showing off, horseplay, or involve a dare. Never
- dive into water you don't know. In lakes or rivers, go into the water feet
- first to check how deep it is before diving. In a pool, find out where the
- deep area ends or you may overshoot it and slam into the slope leading to the
- shallow part. No above-ground pool is deep enough to dive into, so don't even
- think about it.
- The people who run your local pool decided to eliminate the risk of
- diving injuries by removing the diving board and they may have had good
- reason. One possible factor may have been their inability to obtain insurance
- to cover anyone injured in a diving accident. Whatever the reason, your
- actions are clear. Play by the rules. Don't dive in that pool.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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-