Actress Teams Up with ThinkFirst and the North American Spine Society To Help Others Avoid Life-Threatening Diving Injuries

LaGrange, IL – May 2006 - 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 opening nationwide this Memorial Day weekend, millions of American families need to “think first” before diving in for some 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. Well-known television and film actress, Brooke Burns, was in the lucky 10 percent and narrowly avoided paralysis after sustaining a diving injury last November. Burns misjudged depth while diving into her backyard swimming pool and hit the bottom, resulting in a broken neck – a near fatal injury. The 28-year-old actress and mother credits her friend, a paramedic fireman, for saving her life by immobilizing her and floating her in the pool until additional paramedics arrived. Burns underwent extensive surgery and since has made a full recovery.

"If anyone else had tried to move me, I would have been paralyzed,” explains Burns. “I feel like I have been given a second chance. I want to help others ‘think first’ before diving into a pool or lake to prevent these types of life-changing accidents. I know I’m in a very fortunate minority and hope my story inspires both adults and children to be more careful.”

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.

Burns has teamed up with ThinkFirst and NASS to raise awareness and helped develop these “top 10” tips for diving injury prevention, which can be also found at www.thinkfirst.org and www.spine.org.

• 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.”
• 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. Brooke Burns avoided catastrophic injury because a friend was nearby and called for medical help.
• 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.
• Don’t dive from rooftops, balconies, ledges, fences, retaining walls, ladders, slides or other pool equipment.
  To dive safely, hold your head and arms up and steer with your hands. Keep your arms extended over your head during the dive.
• Don’t dive off the side of a diving board – dive straight ahead and test the diving board for its spring before using.
  Don’t run and dive. Don’t do a back dive.
• 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.
• Always make sure children are supervised by an adult while diving and swimming.
  

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About NASS
NASS is a multidisciplinary medical organization dedicated to fostering the highest quality, evidence-based, and ethical spine care by promoting education, research, and advocacy. Since its start in 1985, NASS has grown to nearly 4,000 members in 22 spine-related specialties. NASS members are MDs, DOs, and PhDs, including orthopedics, neurosurgery, physiatry, pain management, and other disciplines. Nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, chiropractors, physical therapists, practice administrators, and other allied health care professionals involved in spine care are also represented as affiliate members.

About ThinkFirst
Established in 1986, the mission of the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation is to prevent traumatic injuries among young people by focusing on injury prevention education, research and public policy. The Foundation’s multi-level approach to injury prevention combines education with community wide safety programming and legislative initiatives. More than 200 national and 60 international ThinkFirst chapters help to deliver the ThinkFirst message, “Use your mind to protect your body.” For more information about the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation, log onto www.thinkfirst.org. 

For further information, contact:
North American Spine Society
Toll-free: (866) 960-6277   Direct: (630) 230-3600
or
Kathleen Hansen
(630) 933-9477