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Dad regaining movement after breaking neck in Ibiza holiday accident
Overview
David Hayes, a 43-year-old father from Torquay, is regaining feeling and movement in his lower body and arms after breaking his neck in a diving accident in Ibiza fifteen months ago. Despite initially being told he would never move anything from the neck down again, he has surpassed expectations through physiotherapy and maintains a positive outlook for the future.
Key points
- David Hayes broke his neck after hitting a sandbank while diving off a rock in Ibiza.
- His 13-year-old daughter and two nearby men rescued him from the water.
- He spent three weeks in a coma in Ibiza before being transferred to hospitals in Plymouth and Salisbury.
- Surgeons initially told him he would never move anything from the neck down again.
- Fifteen months on, he can move both arms, has core mobility, and undergoes daily physiotherapy at home.