HIS life changed forever when he dived off York’s Ouse Bridge on his 25th birthday and broke his neck and spine, leaving him a quadriplegic.
Now, 15 years on, former York musician Martin Hall has urged other people not to make the same mistake and risk facing the same terrible consequences.
Throwing his support behind The Press’s Think, Don’t Swim campaign – which was launched to raise awareness of the dangers of York’s rivers after three people drowned so far
this year – Martin said his own experience showed how anyone diving in was as much at risk of paralysis as drowning.
Martin, former lead guitarist with a successful York group, Suicidal Flowers, told of his “moment of madness” when he dived off the bridge, and of the dark times since then when he has sometimes wished he had drowned that night.
“It was my 25th birthday on September 25 in 1996 and I had been out with my friends for a few beers,” he said.
“I was walking back towards Holgate, where I lived then, and was some distance ahead of my friends when I was crossing Ouse Bridge.
“Thinking of what had happened on a previous stag night out, I thought they might strip me naked and tie me to a lamp-post and so I climbed on to the parapet shouting: ‘Yippee, 25 today!’ and dived in. There was no boat going under and the water was deep. I landed okay and swam to the beach and climbed back on to the bridge.
“A friend then jumped in with me. When I landed in the water I tried to move my legs and arms and nothing happened, and I started to sink. I called to my mate: ‘I can’t swim! I’m not joking,’ and he came over and brought me to the shore. I hadn’t struck anything - I had just landed badly in the water.
“I thought I had just belly-flopped and I would get the movement back but then the paramedics came and took me to hospital. I still thought I would be okay but a guy at the hospital came over and said: ‘You’ve broken your neck and you aren’t going to walk again.’ “I was transferred to Pinderfields Hospital at Wakefield, where I spent seven months and was taught how to use a wheelchair, how to eat, how to go to the toilet.
“When I was released, I was given a nice flat by the council but my life had been turned upside down and inside out. My friends were fantastic but they gradually dropped off one by one. It pretty much destroyed my family.
“I became pretty hard core, drinking heavily and later became a bit of a hermit. I stopped in and became depressed for a couple of years. In my darkest days, I wished I had drowned. But I had to drag myself out of that.”
He said he was involved in wheelchair sports and had recently moved to Glasgow to start a university degree in astronomy and physics.
He explained why he was speaking out now in support of the campaign.
“I want someone else to avoid making the mistake I made in a moment of madness.”
Stop and think of Martin Hall
A “moment of madness” ruined Martin Hall’s life. It was September 25, 1996 – Martin’s 25th birthday.
The former guitarist with York group Suicidal Flowers had been out in town with friends for a few beers. As they walked back, he climbed on to the parapet of Ouse Bridge, shouted “Yippee, 25 today!” and dived in.
There was no problem that first time. He swam ashore, climbed back to the bridge – then dived in again. That is when his life changed.
He landed badly, broke his neck and spine – and has never walked again.
During some of the darkest days since, he has wished he had drowned that day. His friends were great at first, he says, but gradually they dropped away. He started drinking heavily, and became a virtual recluse.
Now he is getting his life back on track. He has been involved in wheelchair sports and is studying for a degree in astronomy and physics.
But he doesn’t want anyone else to go through what happened to him. That is why, today, he spoke out in support of our Think, Don’t Swim campaign.
We launched the campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of York’s rivers after three people drowned this year alone. As Martin’s case reveals, drowning is not the only risk.
“I want someone else to avoid making the mistake I made,” he said. So please, by all means enjoy yourself on a night out.
But before you do anything stupid such as jumping into the Ouse, just stop and think of Martin Hall for a moment. And then don’t do it.
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