2024-01-10 09:18:38
A 12-year-old Australian athlete, who wanted to start the New Year by jumping from a popular cliff, regretted her action and is now urging thrill-seekers to think twice, following breaking both her legs.
“I’ve jumped off cliffs before and it was really fun. I won’t do it once more,” 12-year-old Sarah Jacka told 9 News from her hospital bed at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Victoria, Australia, on Wednesday.
On January 1, it was from a popular cliff on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria that the young girl jumped into the water, in front of the camera held by her father, Chris Jacka, to film the athlete in full jump.
Except that instead of cries of victory upon her return to the surface, it was cries for help which arose when the young girl had just broken both legs and an ankle by hitting herself once morest the ground, low tide.
“I thought I was paralyzed. I mightn’t feel my legs at all,” she continued to the Australian media.
A young elite athlete has told how she thought she was paralyzed following breaking both legs when she jumped from a popular Mount Martha cliff.
12-year-old Sarah Jacka is joining lifesavers and police to warn other thrill seekers regarding the dangers. @NearyTy_9 #9News pic.twitter.com/yzxQxZ6Z62
— 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) January 10, 2024
It was the third serious accident to occur at the popular site in less than a week, forcing authorities to warn thrill-seekers and tourists to stop these activities which can be very dangerous.
The young girl and her father decided to join their voices to carry the message.
“It was heartbreaking. She said she mightn’t feel her legs, so I was afraid she broke her back […] It’s not worth the injury, it’s not worth the risk for those 30 seconds of adrenaline,” Chris Jacka told 9 News.
Especially since these sites are often “complex” in terms of rescue, underlined Chris Quinn, one of the volunteers of the Mount Martha Rescue Club. In this case, rescuers must use a crane to remove the injured from the water without putting themselves in danger.
“This is one of our challenges. We have to send our most experienced members there and that then diverts our resources from the beach,” he added to the Australian media.
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