Community Corner

Woodbridge Teen's Family Encourages Beach Safety after Severe Water Injury

17-year-old Parker Haller of Woodbridge has undergone more than a year of physical therapy to regain mobility beneath his shoulders after hitting his head against a sandbar during a 2012 beach trip.

A Woodbridge family is encouraging beachgoers to be wary of their underwater surroundings after their 17-year-old son returned from a 2012 family vacation a quadriplegic.

Parker Haller, 17, of Woodbridge, visited Ocean City, Maryland with his mother and younger brother in July of 2012. After an hour of playing in the water, Haller dove head-first over a wave and hit his head against a sandbar, leaving him paralyzed yet fully conscious beneath the water.

Haller was rescued by a nearby swimmer and flown to a Baltimore hospital where doctors determined the sandbar smashed two vertebrae near the top of his spine. He spent four months at the Shepherd Center for spinal injuries in Atlanta, where doctors said he had a 4 percent chance of regaining mobility below his shoulders.

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After more than a year of physical therapy and relearning how to dress, eat and write, Haller successfully left his wheelchair and climbed the stairs from his home’s retrofitted basement to the first floor about five months ago, NBC Washington reports.

Parker's parents, Scott and Miriam Haller, shared what they learned from staff at the Shepherd Center with News4.

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"Diving's OK as long as it's feet first,” Scott Haller said in an interview with News4. “So you don't have to stop it totally, but do it feet first."

"You have to know what you're diving into,” said Miriam Haller. “If you don't know it's 10 feet of water, don't go into that water.

226 major medical injuries occurred at Ocean City beaches in 2012 and 140 in 2013, according to the United States Lifesaving Association.

Most spinal injuries are preventable. The U.S. Lifesaving Association recommends following these select tips to ensure safety while swimming at beaches, waterfalls or other bodies of water:

  • "Check with lifeguards on current conditions before swimming."

  • "DON'T dive headfirst into any unknown water."

  • "DON'T dive toward the bottom into oncoming waves."

  • "Avoid bodysurfing, bodyboarding or surfing straight "over the falls." Ride the shoulder."

  • "In a "wipeout," land as flat as possible with your hands out in front of you."

  • "While bodysurfing, keep an arm out in front of you to protect your head and neck."

  • If someone is injured,

    • "Summon lifeguards or dial 9-1-1."

    • "Advise the injured person to "Hold still. Don't move anything!" Especially their head and neck."

    • "If they are standing or sitting, help them to try to maintain that position without moving their head or neck until help arrives."

  • "If they are in the water, do the best you can with available help to keep the person still while maintaining an open airway."

  • An organizational account in Hallers' hometown of O’Fallon, Illinois is accepting donations to help with the family’s medical expenses:

    Parker Haller Support Fund

    Scott Credit Union

    712 W. Hwy 50

    O’Fallon, IL 62269


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