# Accident Report - broken neck playboating



## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

I wanted to let all my buzzard friends know what happend to me on Xmas day. So here it goes. Maybe a few lessons learned (the classic...don't paddle alone).

I was ocean surfing in So Cal in my playboat. I was paddling about a mile dwon th beach to a nice peak i had seen. It was high tide to everything else was shore break and i was surfing shore break as i worked my way towards the peak i wanted .

I hit the lip vertically and went over backwards with thought of landing vertically nose first. I got slammed onto the bottom on my head and it snapped. My arms wer complelety paralyzed and i could not pull my skirt. I was updsied dowm drwoning withmy hand floating in front of me. I was unimaginable. It was a steep beach so when the next wave came it pushed me up onto the beach for a breatth of air but then I got pulled back. This happended 3 time, I think. 
after the last time I know I was dead. I though about Noland and Marcella. on my last time I got washed in AI started screaming and a woman and man heard me eventually and the man ran to me and saved my life. With my instructions he was able to pop my skirt. My head was flopping around so I aske him to leave me ther and he layed on my in the surf zone to take the impact of the waves for about 20 or 30 minutes while an ambulance was called and arrived.

I got out of the ICU after 5 days: tore every ligament in my neck betewwen C4 and C5 and pinched the spinal cordk.. miilimenter from death they said abut Told me I Was one of the lucky ones that they see once in a while. A top neuro surgeon fixed me up...fused my spined and dealt with an spinal artery that was torn.

that's it....tired now.

Love youguys....I can walk talk and type so I am happy;. Wont' be paddling soon but maybe run a big south shuttle for you this summer. 

peace.;

Oh, and one other thing. kickboxing saved my life. When I was inn the MRI maching the tech told be that my neck and back are solid muscle. Also, the training I got in dealling with pain helpped me hold my breakth longer when I was upside down with no arms. You should have see it...I held it FOREVER.


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## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

Wishing you a fast recovery. Tough day for sure.


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## stinginrivers (Oct 18, 2003)

Ture,

So sorry to hear about this but I am super glad you are OK.

Heal fast and I have a happy new year.

Danny


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## Yonder_River (Feb 6, 2004)

Damn Ture, that's scary stuff, glad to hear your doing better now. 

How far out from shore were you and did you hit sand or rocks?


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## Phillips (Feb 19, 2004)

Hey Ture,

I'm glad your still alive. Call me if you need anything. You've definately had a tough year. Take it easy OK.

Talk soon
Kent


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## twitch (Oct 16, 2003)

Ture - Damn glad you're ok man. Sorry to hear it like this, but real glad to hear it from your mouth. If you need anything when you get back into G-town, feel free to holler.

Mark


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## Roy (Oct 30, 2003)

Wow Ture--scary story!

Sorry to hear it and relieved to hear that it sounds like you'll be OK at the same time! 

Take care of yourself,

Roy


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## BastrdSonOfElvis (Mar 24, 2005)

Damn, man. That's the kind of stuff that changes your whole life..at least your perspective. I bet that hospital jell-o was the best shit you've ever eaten. Your body will heal and now you know just how tough you really are.

Get well soon, but take your time.


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## GAtoCSU (Apr 18, 2005)

Damn man! I thought I had done the same thing when I was about 13 in Daytona Fl. Tried to surf the barrel and got slammed. I've never had that sore of a neck before. Here's wishing a quick recovery!

Scott


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

Ture,

Wow! I'm glad you made it through! That is an incredible tale of survival. Best luck on your recovery. 

Reading your story gave me chills and made me realize that you experienced a kayakers worst nightmare. Its a testament to your strength and will that you made it through.


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## spencer (Oct 24, 2003)

Ture - you're an animal! Of all the folks that I can see surviving that situation, you're on the top of the list. 

Since I moved to GA, I have been paddling almost exclusively in the ocean... Here I thought surfing in the ocean alone was better than paddling a river alone. Thanks for the reminder that there is no such thing as a safe solo paddle. 

Man! Im gland to hear you have a good attitude about all of this. Youve been out of the game before, so keep your chin up!


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

Ture,

Sure sorry to hear about this, but glad you stayed strong and made it out alive. That's not an easy story to read, much less experience. I paddled with you a couple times last summer and saw enough to know you're a strong athlete and pretty safe guy. It's another reminder how fragile we are. Best of luck to you on the difficult road ahead.


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

This is Ture's wife Marcella. I've read all of the replies out loud to him and he was moved. We met with a physical therapist today that said he would kayak again. He'll be standing on the bank video taping this year but will be pumped up and ready to go next year. He loves all of you!


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## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

Man, the PT on that must be extensive. Sorry for the hard days ahead but great to hear there is a light at the end of the tunnel.


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## Geezer (Oct 14, 2003)

:shock: Get better fast. Glad you are going to make it.


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## Paul P (Jan 5, 2007)

Stay Strong Ture!

I pray you make a swift recovery.


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## davidcrockett (Mar 28, 2005)

That is one impressive survival story. I never thought it was possible to break your neck play boating. Good luck with the recovery.


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## JCKeck1 (Oct 28, 2003)

Ture - damn that is a tough year. You are one tough mo'fo for sure. I'd never want to fight you. Now you've got two stories in one year that most people never get to tell. Get better, keep kickin and we'll see you soon!
Peace
Joe


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## Kimy (Jul 1, 2005)

Yikes! Very scary. Good to hear you are on the mend and we all send our best to you!
If you or your family/pals get a chance, can you write up some more info. Where were you, (you mentioned high tide), was the beach particularly steep, ... was it compounded by the way you were trying to land off the lip, etc. 
Lots of butt surfers out here in SoCal are fairly casual about the risks of paddling in shore break, though that is about all we DO surf. (Points and reefs are less common and often crowded.) 

We would sure like to learn from your scary experience. 

KJ
San Diego y Frisco, CO


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

Hey Kimy,
Here is a bit more detail about the accident, to help all you butt surfers out there realize that the shore break is totally not worth it. I've been board surfing for 15 years and kayaking for 10 and I was 100% confident that I was just going to have some super mellow fun for a few hours before Christmas dinner.

It was high tide, on a steep beach on the north side of San Clemente. With the steepness of the beach and the tide, the inside waves were basically breaking on sand or in very shallow water.

It was a 3-5 ft swell and the wave that did me in was breaking inside and was probably a 3 footer. I hit the lip vertically but was a little late so I ended up going backwards over the falls with the lip. I could have landed on a rock because there were a few boulder in the area, but I don't know. I hit hard but thought it was really no big deal. I've taken shots like that countless times while creeking in Colorado.

I realized I was in trouble when I could not roll because my arms were completely paralyzed. If any of you ever see a kayaker making no attempt to roll then you need to jump in and get them out of there unless you are in a spot where jumping in is going to kill you. Now I know how some creekers seem to mysteriously die after flipping and making no roll attempts. I was completely conscious and unable to move my arms at all.

I was able to hold my breath until the waves pushed me in. Because the beach was steep I got dragged back out a few times and ended up doing a few laps of that stuff. I was certain I was going to die but I didn't. My neck was completely broken and my head was flopping around. I should be dead.

The neurosurgeon told me that I cannot take any blows to the head anymore: no more kickboxing or kayaking. I can't believe that I am taking 5 boats to the gear swap this spring. It is hard to believe that it is over.

My advice would be to stay far away from shore break in a kayak. If you go over the falls upside down the amout of pressure on the bottom of your boat will pile-drive you into the bottom hard enough to mess you up bad. I wouldn't mess with shallow reefs either. I used to kayak surf fairly large waves up in Humboldt County and, looking back on it, I can't believe some of the spots that I casually surfed alone. I was getting worked on the rocks put I had my elbow pads on and thought it was no different that creeking...I was actually having fun getting spanked. But now I realize that the ocean waves are more powerful than most features that I ran into while creeking. Respect the power of the ocean!!!


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## jonny water (Oct 28, 2003)

That is one burly story. I wish you speedy recovery. Thanks for sharing this story as I have surfed my kayak in some sketchy places myself. I will make sure the water is sufficiently deep next time or just stick to the surfboard!

Don't count yourself our of kayaking just yet! Work on the rehab and get strong again then go back for a new check up. Technology is advancing fast and you never know what may be in store for you. Maybe a neck fusion could work. I am no doctor but I know the human spirit can be stronger than doctors words. Keep your chin up.....you have been given a second chance which most could only dream of that were in a similar situation. 

Makes me want to give back to the community just knowing that you survived and will be able to walk. Your story will save lives of other boaters and I think it should be published. Think about writing that story up for AW or the new Steamboat Mag.

Jon


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## BastrdSonOfElvis (Mar 24, 2005)

He's right...doctors are wrong all the time. Chances are he's not a boater and it's easy for him to rule out the sport without fully grasping what it means to you -- as no one who doesn't boat really can. I would seek other opinions, have them explain everything thoroughly, get some textbooks, read up...understand exactly what's up and make your own decision.

Don't swap those boats just yet.

If that scare was enough to convince you to hang it up I think it would very hard to find anyone who's going to fault you for it. That is about the scariest thing I can imagine that doesn't involve a bear. I'm sure it left a permanent imprint on you psyche. BUT, if you want to boat I wouldn't count yourself out just yet. Heal first. Re-evaluate.


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## COUNT (Jul 5, 2005)

Man, that's an amazing story. That really sucks but we're all glad you're here to tell it. What's the extent of not being able to take another hit? I ask because I've got a friend who broke his back a few years ago and he can't take another major hit like that but it's healed enough that he can take some minor abuse and he comes out and paddles with us a few times a year on high volume runs like Westy where there's no chance ever hitting anything when you flip. It's not like the paddling he used to do but it's better than nothing and helps satisfy that desire to paddle. Might want to keep that in mind when you make your trip to the gear swap. 

Stay tough. Keep us updated on the recovery. You've got the whole state over here cheering on your speedy recovery. Let us know if you need anything.

D


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## tress33 (Jan 5, 2007)

Just my 2 cents...
my father was paralyzed, a quadrapeligic(sp?) to be exact. he was hurt on a family trip on the river. he worked hard at rehab for years and technology/his hard work helped him regain the use of his arms, so he was able to squeeze/hold a glass of water, use the remote for the tv, etc.. might seem minor but it made day-day life a little easier. 
kayaking might not ever be the same as far as the risks runs you take but you might want to hold on to one boat for motivation or not. right now Im sure it;s emotional decision.
Hope you heal mentally, physically and spritually.
Rob


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## paddlebizzle (Oct 15, 2003)

Ture -
You've been through brink and back. We weren't there, and it's easy for us to post about how you shouldn't get rid of your boat and should reconsider.

Still, get a second opinion. If you need help, PM me - I know the director of Neurosurgery at UCHSC, which is one of the best Neurosurgery departments in the world. The neuro that saved you did a great job (you're walking for God's sake). Nonetheless, get a second opinion JUST TO BE SURE.

I agree with Derk - keep your boat and count on Westwater and other deep-water/no impact trips.


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## Yonder_River (Feb 6, 2004)

Hang in there Ture and stay positive. Doctors aren't always right...I should know, my wife is one. :lol: 

As people have been mentioning, maybe high volume or easy runs could still be a possibility in the future. Also, from the times we've chatted when boating together, it seems like you prefer sports that require focus. I would recommend picking up sport climbing as a good substitute for boating and kickboxing. It's relatively safe, but still pretty intense and you have hundreds of routes within twenty miles of your house. 

Take care and wish you well on your recovery! 
 -Dave


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