Recently at Bondi Beach, lifeguards dealt with one of the most tragic accidents of their careers. 28 year old Leandro Santos, a dancer from a Rhythm Brazil troupe, was swimming with friends when he dived head on into a shallow sandbank injuring his neck. He was dragged out of the water unable to move his arms or legs, and barely able to breathe. Bondi lifeguards Deano and Reidy were first on the scene, and immobilised Leandro to avoid any further damage. He was air-lifted by rescue helicopter to Royal North Shore hospital, and is tragically now a quadriplegic. His spinal cord was crushed but not severed, and doctors predict he has only 1% chance of regaining his movement. They also predicted he had a only a 1% chance of being able to breathe without the assistance of a ventilator machine, yet he has overcome the odds to do so.
If you would like to assist Leandro’s rehabilitation, please go to the following website to make a donation:
