A chief doctor at the emergency department: Don’t make this mistake when you go swimming
The summer heat tempts many Danes to take a cold dip in the sea – and also to do headfirst dives. But it can end very badly, warns a chief doctor.
Aarhus University Hospital is specialized in spinal and neck injuries. They therefore receive patients from the entire Central Denmark Region who end up with a headfirst diving accident. (Photo: © Olafur Steinar Gestsson, Ritzau Scanpix) 16 minutes ago
When the sun is really blazing in the summer, there is nothing like packing the beach bag, swimsuit, and a couple of ice-cold beers to take to the beach.
However, the summer half-year is not only high season for cold dips – it is also high season for headfirst diving accidents. This is reported by Aarhus Stiftstidende.
"We see it every single year. When the weather is good, Danes want to go swimming. Some try headfirst dives, but that is where it can easily go wrong," says Lubna Rafiq Kokholm, chief doctor at the emergency department at Aarhus University Hospital, to DR.
"Headfirst diving accidents can end with permanent injuries. If a headfirst dive goes wrong, it can lead to fractures of the neck and back. And in the worst case, it can lead to paralysis in the arms and legs."
That is why the chief doctor is now urging beachgoers to think twice.
"It is often young people who are a bit more adventurous and perform the dangerous headfirst dives. That is also why they are often the ones who come in with this type of injury," says chief doctor Lubna Kokholm. (Photo: © Mikkel Berg Pedersen, Ritzau Scanpix)
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Avoid ending up in the emergency room
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"First of all, you should not dive headfirst when you do not know the water depth. That also applies even if it is a place where you have swum before," she says.
Water conditions can change, and it is important to be aware of that before you launch into a headfirst dive or a double somersault.
"You should of course also not dive headfirst if there is a clear warning sign prohibiting it. There is usually a reason why it is there," says Lubna Rafiq Kokholm.
Even though it may be obvious, there are still people who make this mistake.
And although it can be tempting to open an ice-cold beer on the beach and then do a headfirst dive into the sea, the chief doctor also advises against that.
"When you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you become overconfident. That is also what we often see in many other types of accidents. Your reaction time and your ability to assess danger become impaired. That is where it often goes wrong."
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