Dragons back-row Jackson recovering after swimming pool accident

Newport Gwent Dragons back-row Ed Jackson is recovering in hospital after suffering serious spinal injuries when he hit his head on the bottom of a swimming pool.

The 28-year-old has revealed that he dived into the shallow end of a pool at a barbeque last month and was pulled to the surface by his Father and a friend.

Former Bath and Wasps man Jackson underwent surgery to remove a shattered disc and had a metal plate inserted after having his vertebrae relocated.

Jackson posted on Facebook: "On the 8th April at a family friend's BBQ I dived into the shallow end of a swimming pool.

"After hitting my head on the bottom I realised I couldn't swim to the surface because I'd lost movement in my legs and power in my arms. My dad (a retired GP) and friend Daffyd immediately knew something was wrong, pulled me to the surface and stabilised me in the pool until the ambulance came.

"I was transferred to Southmead Hospital with a fracture dislocation at the C6/7 joint. After a number of MRI scans and X-Rays the Drs decided to operate at 2am to stabilise my neck as pressure was being put on my spinal cord.

"In surgery they removed my shattered disc, relocated my vertebrae and fixed it in place with a metal plate.

"I woke up in ICU, luckily completely coherent, however no feeling below my neck other than limited movement in my right arm."