Michigan State football player Steve Moore is lucky to be alive after jumping into the Saginaw Bay and accidentally hitting his neck on a sand bar. Moore fractured the C4 vertabrae in his neck after diving off a boat last Saturday without knowing how deep the water was in the area where the boat was floating. Unfortunately, Moore did not see an underwater sandbar that injured his neck.
Moore is lucky that he is not paralyzed, nor do his injuries appear to have completely ruined his chances at playing as MSU's long snapper. He underwent surgery last Wednesday morning and faces a 6-12 month rehab process. He has been training for three years to take over as the full-time long snapper, and is unsure that he will be able to return to football although doctors are optimistic about his ability to recover. Thankfully, he has not lost sensation or the full use of his extremities.
Moore's ordeal demonstrates the importance of being safe when enjoying lakes, or any body of water this summer. Diving injuries are a serious problem, especially for young men. It is best never to jump into a body of water without knowing the depth, since doing so can result in serious spinal cord injuries that can lead to paralysis.
