The water in the swimming pool was too shallow for a man of twenty to dive into. Perhaps Mr. A. should have known this, but he didn't. He dove, hit the concrete floor of the pool with his head, felt a sudden "crunching" sensation in his neck. He remained conscious, however, and was able to swim to the edge of the pool where he needed help in climbing out. He was immediately aware of having a headache, pain in his neck, and weakness and pain in both his arms. Friends at the scene suspected the seriousness of his injury and called an ambulance to take him to the emergency department of a nearby hospital. There the admitting physician's diagnosis of fractures of the third, fourth, and fifth cervical vertebrae was confirmed by x-ray. Within a few hours after the accident, Mr. A. was taken to the operating room for the insertion of Crutchfield tongs in his skull in preparation for the application of skeletal traction to reduce the fractures of the vertebrae and facilitate nursing care. We first met Mr. A. in the neurosurgical unit following his operation. He remained with us until he was able to be up and about, although still wearing a support for his neck. During this time, we learned that a patient who has sustained a fracture or other serious injury of the cervical vertebrae has multiple problems and requires knowledgeable and gentle nursing care. His nurse must be wise, patient, resourceful, and skillful, for she will encounter many challenges.