A Greek tourist who fractured his spine after diving into a sandbank at Cottesloe Beach on New Year's Eve has a slim chance of walking again, doctors say. Ioannis Vidiniotis, 28, had been in Perth for just two days when he visited the iconic beach with his cousin.
Vidiniotis, an experienced swimmer, dove into the calm Indian Ocean but struck a sandbank, breaking his collarbone and fracturing his spine. His cousin Aristea Kazantzidou performed CPR until an anaesthetist named Lloyd arrived to help stabilize him.
He underwent a five-hour emergency spinal surgery and remains in intensive care. Medical specialists estimate his chance of walking again is less than 5 percent. A fundraising campaign has raised over $250,000 for his medical treatment and rehabilitation.
The Town of Cottesloe’s chief executive, Mark Newman, said the beach has adequate signage about ocean dangers, with about 30 entry points along its 4-kilometer foreshore. He urged beachgoers to take care in the water.
