A 15-YEAR-OLD boy has been left in a “vegetative state” following a dangerous stunt gone wrong – leaving his parents devastated.
Jack Dolan suffered horrific injuries after jumping off Margate pier in Kent in front of his friends and girlfriend last month.
The teen “overspun” and landed face first, spending eight minutes underwater and going into cardiac arrest before he was pulled out.
He was airlifted to King’s College Hospital in London where MRI scans showed he had severe brain damage.
Aspiring Royal Marine Jack is now in a “vegetative state” with a life expectancy of no more than two years.
Jack’s stepfather Dave, 35, has kept a bedside vigil for him – holding his hand since the start.
Dave told the Mail: “He’s alive but it’s like he’s not there. He was my best mate. We cannot explain how cruel all of this is.
“He’s like a newborn baby. He can’t move. There’s a heartbeat and that is it. There’s no eye contact. He cannot speak.
“His smile was one of his greatest assets and he does not have that now. There’s nothing.”
Jack’s family have launched a fundraiser to equip a new home with the specialist kit Jack needs so he can return there to die.
It is thought the Medway teen did not realise how high the pier was and was knocked unconscious before drowning.
The accident left Jack brain dead and he will not recover – so his family believe the “kind and caring” thing is to let him die at home.
Dave, from Rainham in Kent, said he was proud of Jack’s friends for their response to the accident.
One of the group rang 999 while Jack’s girlfriend rang his mum Lisa, who rushed to the pier.
When doctors removed life support, Jack breathed for himself – a miracle in itself, but the most his body can do.
Writing on the family’s JustGiving page, friend Sam Cass said: “Lisa and Dave’s son, Jack, suffered a tragic accident last week.
“Unfortunately an MRI scan has shown there to be no brain activity and is currently in the process of being moved to palliative care.
“This has crushed his family. Both Lisa and Dave are going to have to take the foreseeable future off work.
“They have made the impossible decision to let Jack go peacefully and live on in our minds and hearts as the Jack we all knew and loved.
“This fundraiser is to help ease the pressure of upcoming palliative care and future funeral costs to give Jack the send-off he deserves.”
Sam added: “This will hopefully be one less thing for the family to worry about.
“Jack is the biggest joker, with a heart of gold. He loves to show off in front of girls and won’t leave the house without doing his hair.
“He loves his family, will do anything for his sisters and this fundraiser is to take a little bit of the burden away from them.
“Many people love Jack and I’m sure they all wish the family wasn’t going through this right now.
“If you can donate, even a pound, we really do appreciate it. Thank you.”
Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer:
How to stay safe at the beach
Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: “If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety.
“If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.”
How to stay safe at the swimming pool
Tiny Hearts Education, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: “Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency.
“It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life”.
An Auqabliss spokesperson added: “Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool.
“Children may try to grab these from the pool’s edge and fall in.”
How to stay safe at a waterpark
Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, said: “Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult.
“And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently.
“Waterparks are often very busy places and it’s easy to lose sight of a child in a split second.”
