MAN WITH BROKEN NECK

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 36, 26 January 1932, Page 6

MAN WITH BROKEN NECK

PROBABILITY OF RECOVERY. New Plymouth, Jan. 25. A young man lies in the New Plymouth Hospital with a broken neck and with an excellent prospect of complete recovery. He is Earle Coleman When swimming in the Tehenui rives he dived and struck a bank with his head and was found lying on his back at the bottom of a pool. Rona Pepperell, a girl member of the Surf Club, rescued him in a dazed condition. Rescuscitation methods were applied and he was admitted to hospital. An X-ray examination disclosed a definite fracture of the body of the vertebrae and a slight displacement. but so far as could be ascertained the spinal column was not seriously damaged, though some of the nerves may be twisted The only bodily disability Coleman is suffering is a slight weakness in one arm, slight anaesthesia of the skin of the other arm and pains in the nock. Dr. G. H. Thomson told a reporter that there was a strong probability of Coleman’s recovery. His case was one of, jrerhaps, three of four recorded in New Zealand. Coleman was ex tremely fortunate that the rescue's used care in handling him. He tolthe doctor he was conscious practical!-, the whole time.