An 8-year-old boy is in a critical condition in the Netcare Unitas Hospital in Pretoria after he was injured while playing rugby at his elementary school in Pretoria North earlier in May. At the time of the report, the events leading up to the injury were unclear, but it was thought that the boy was injured when he attempted to tackle another player. A Netcare911 spokesperson was able to give that little bit of information. Paramedics arrived at the scene to find the boy semi-conscious and still on the field. He had sustained serious spinal trauma as well as a significant head injury. He was airlifted to the Netcare Unitas Hospital for treatment. Like slip and fall injuries in Brooklyn and The Bronx, rugby injuries are the cause of many spinal problems.
In another incident in Sino Ville, Pretoria, a 10-year-old schoolboy was seriously injured when a scrum collapsed during another rugby game. Netcare911 paramedics had to rush from the first child’s incident to the second child’s. He was also found lying on the field, the Netcare911 representative said. It was found that this boy had sustained head and spinal trauma and was transported by ambulance to the same hospital for further care.
A NYC Spinal Injury Lawyer affirms what many parents realize: sports can be quite dangerous when they are not accompanied by adequate supervision and instruction. Proper equipment is also very important for student safety.