Girl breaks legs jumping off cliff at popular Aussie swimming spot
Sarah Jacka, 12, was one of two people to suffer broken legs at the popular spot in a matter of days.
A 12-year-old girl has started the new year in "excruciating" pain after she broke both her legs and ankle jumping from a cliff at a popular swimming spot.
Sarah Jacka, 12, was with her dad and several friends on New Year's Day when the youngsters decided to jump from the rocks at The Pillars at Mount Martha — located on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne — joining in with the many others taking the plunge.
While waiting her turn Sarah turned and asked a fellow swimmer behind her if it was safe, to which he assured her the water was "so deep". After watching many others jump and gleefully swim back to the shore, Sarah decided to jump too.
"I went through the water and my knees were straight, and my legs just hit the ground and my knees went back," she told 7 News. "And I just got this instant shock of pain and I thought I was paralysed so I came up screaming for my dad."
Sarah broke both her tibias and a bone in her ankle "came off" while ligaments were completely torn.
Dad was filming jump when accident happened
Sarah's dad Chris was filming what he thought was a "harmless, straightforward jump" from a boat nearby, and said the situation turned "horrific" very fast. After hearing her screams from the water, Chris jumped in and raced to be by her side.
"I don't think I've swam 30 metres so fast in my life," Chris admitted. "She told me she couldn't feel her legs, couldn't feel her feet and the instant thought process was that she'd broken her back."
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Lifesavers located nearby were with the family "within minutes" and had to "drag" Sarah onto the medical boat. But despite the horrifying ordeal, the family considers themselves lucky.
"It's just simply not worth the risk... the reality is Sarah is on a four to six month recovery window. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate," he said.
Another man breaks his leg at same spot
Several days after Sarah's accident an older man required medical assistance after he jumped from the same rocks, breaking his leg and suffering a suspected spine injury, according to the captain of the Mount Martha Life saving Club.
"These incidents happened in the afternoon when we had low tide, it's a bit like going to your local swimming pool and jumping off the highest diving board into the shallow end... if people are going to go and do it, at least be really aware of what those conditions are," Chris Quinn told 3AW Melbourne.
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