Shriver’s son hurt in surfing mishap; how safe are water sports?

Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 13-year-old son, Christopher, was seriously injured in a boogie boarding accident in Malibu, L.A. Now reports.

It’s any parent’s nightmare -- a fun day at the beach leads to a potentially life-threatening injury. The jury’s out on exactly how safe water sports like boogie boarding and surfing are. A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that surfing is far less dangerous than many other sports, with just 6.6 significant injuries per 1,000 hours of surfing.

But perhaps it’s the nature of the injuries that inspires horror. A sprained ankle on a soccer field seems more understandable than, say, a slash across the hand from a surfboard fin.

Research presented in 2004 at the Radiological Society of North America meeting found that surfer injuries often seem uniquely peculiar because of the sport itself. Impacts with water generally don’t leave an external mark and the boards, leashed to their riders, can whack people after they fall off.

The researchers grouped the injuries according to what context they were sustained in -- when paddling toward the surf, in the process of catching a wave or because of the marine environment. Knowing that certain injuries are usually found in certain stages of surfing may help doctors more quickly and accurately diagnose their patients.

Christopher Schwarzenegger, who suffered a collapsed lung and broken bones, is expected to make a full recovery, according to a statement.

In the meantime, be safe when water-sporting -- avoid areas where you’ll find yourself in the pathway of surfers, protect your head when you fall into the water and avoid rocky patches of beach when possible.

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