Portsmouth man who was paralysed after jumping from pier issues stark warning to teenagers

Sonny Wells, now 32, was left paralysed from the waist down after going tombstoning in 2008.

Tombstoning is the act of jumping upright into a body of water, with the person posing in a tombstone shape as they fall.

It is a popular activity during the warm weather, and talk of doing it has already started among young people this week.

But Sonny has warned it could change not only their lives, but those of everyone around them.

He said: ‘You need to think before you act. If it goes wrong then it will affect your life and everybody you know – all your family and friends.

‘Nobody should be doing this; it’s dangerous and staying safe is the most important thing.

‘Almost everywhere you go in Portsmouth, you’re jumping into shallow water, it's potentially fatal.’

Every year, daredevils are spotted throwing themselves into the water from great heights during the summer months.

In time, Sonny has been able to rebuild his life, but warns other people might not be so lucky.

He is now a wheelchair rugby player for Solent Sharks, though games have been suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak.

‘People need to think about how stretched the NHS already is,’ he said.

‘This virus is pushing them to the absolute limit – the last thing A&E staff need to be dealing with is a teenager who has jumped from the Hot Walls.’

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), teenagers are involved in 55 per cent of tombstoning incidents.

Of the non-fatal incidents, spinal and limb injuries are usually reported, the charity says.

Last year, a large group of around 100 youngsters smashed bottles and fought in the streets of Old Portsmouth, after a row broke out with police over tombstoning.

At the time, Neighbourhood Inspector Marcus Cator described it as a ‘complex societal issue’ but added that police do take the matter extremely seriously.

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