Ocean wave smacking= head concussions

[shootingstar]

Yesterday I was shocked to learn that another worker who actually works on other side of my work cube, has sustained head injuries after she went swimming probably in strong waves down in Mexico.

She's had some strong headaches and so they scanned her head. X-rays show some dark spots, injuries.

I don't know how to swim, so I don't know about this type of injury. I was shocked actually but dearie reminded me of the possible velocity and impact of rolling ocean waves.

[tealtreak]

Yesterday I was shocked to learn that another worker who actually works on other side of my work cube, has sustained head injuries after she went swimming probably in strong waves down in Mexico.

She's had some strong headaches and so they scanned her head. X-rays show some dark spots, injuries.

I don't know how to swim, so I don't know about this type of injury. I was shocked actually but dearie reminded me of the possible velocity and impact of rolling ocean waves.

Hope she heals quickly! The ocean has to be respected- I broke some fingers and injured my wrist surf kayaking in 08- I still enjoy it- but no longer go out when it is rough........

[marni]

what some people don't realize is that the brain actually floats within the skull so any hard bump or shake can cause the brain to rock and rebound off of the skull. Hence shaken baby syndrome. If she was diving into the waves or getting knocked over, it makes sense. Still surprising because one doesn't thing of a swim in the ocean waves as being that dangerous but obviously......

hope she feels better soon.

marni

[OakLeaf]

one doesn't thing of a swim in the ocean waves as being that dangerous

I'm terrified of the ocean.

I'm an adequate, if slow, swimmer in pools. My only triathlon in a flat lake, I was super slow, but never felt frightened or overwhelmed by the open water or the kicking competitors. The ocean really scares me, even on the east coast where waves are almost never over 5'. Rip currents, jellyfish, sharks, and nothing in the other direction for three thousand miles. No thankyouverymuch.

Shootingstar, hope your friend makes a full recovery.

[withm]

[QUOTE=OakLeaf;616649The ocean really scares me, even on the east coast where waves are almost never over 5'. Rip currents, jellyfish, sharks, and nothing in the other direction for three thousand miles. No thankyouverymuch.
[/QUOTE]

The Atlantic Ocean serves up 5' and more waves more often than you think. In fact, tomorrow.

COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE EGG INLET TO GREAT EGG INLET NJ OUT
20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM GREAT EGG INLET TO CAPE MAY NJ OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE MAY NJ TO CAPE HENLOPEN DE OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE HENLOPEN TO FENWICK ISLAND DE OUT 20 NM-
932 PM EST WED DEC 14 2011

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM EST THURSDAY THROUGH
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...
...GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING...

TONIGHT
S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT WITH
GUSTS UP TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

THU
S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. SEAS 4 TO
6 FT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON WITH VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.

THU NIGHT
SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KT. SEAS
4 TO 7 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT.

FRI
NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KT...DIMINISHING
TO 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 3 TO
5 FT.

FRI NIGHT
NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

[zoom-zoom]

Water is nothing to mess with. This Summer saw what seemed like a higher than usual number of deaths of strong swimmers in Lake MI rip-currents. At some point in my childhood my dad told me what to do if faced with these sorts of currents (even though they weren't as much of an issue on the WI side of the lake as they are on the MI side, where I now live). It's surprising how many people take the inherent dangers of a massive inland lake for granted because it's not a large body of salt water/ocean. We can have enough wave action for people to surf on the lake, too, which surprises a lot of people who have never seen a great lake during rough weather.

[shootingstar]

For past 2-3 months, I sensed something seemed wrong. She just didn't look well. That's all and didn't inquire further since I don't know her much.

Her supervisor mentioned it. (Not sure if she should have....but anyway).

One of my cousins who lived in San Francisco, drowned at a beach somewhere along the coast. He was 18yrs.

Another person, a sister of a long-time, close friend, died at 19 when the a huge wave /rip tide pulled her out as she walked along beach with a friend in Acalpulco, Mexco where they vacationed. She didn't how to swim. Her friend barely made it to shore. We were all still in high school. I remember the memorial to her memory by the entire school.