The mother of a 16-year-old boy who suffered a severe cut to the head after jumping off a wall at Newcastle Baths has warned about the dangers of the practice.
The boy, who did not want to be named, required 16 stitches in his forehead after the January 29 incident.
The deep cut ran from his hairline to his right eye and "down to the skull".
"You only think twice about the decision you make after something goes wrong and sometimes it might be too late," he said.
His mother said she wanted to be "very clear that my son did something very stupid".
He now realised this, having told his mum "I could have died".
"Boys will be boys, but I want other parents to know this happened," she said.
She said it had "apparently been a constant battle for lifeguards" to warn youngsters against jumping off the wall.
She felt lucky that her son's injuries weren't worse.
"Maybe someone else won't be so lucky. I'm hoping something could potentially be done," she said.
The wall is at the back of the bleachers at the baths, near the pump house.
City of Newcastle aquatic services manager Donna McGovern said the council had installed signs, "making it very clear that people should not jump off the top of the bleachers".
"Lifeguards will continue to issue verbal warnings to members of the public where appropriate," Ms McGovern said.
She said the council urged people to "consider their own safety and the safety of others and not engage in inappropriate and risky behaviour".
The boy returned to the site at the weekend, but couldn't determine precisely where he hit his head after the jump.
However, he knew that he slipped when he jumped off the wall.
"He said he hit rock. The ambulance officer said he was a very lucky kid," the mother said.
The boy thanked those who helped him.
He said his mates "remained calm and were quick to respond" and the lifeguards helped "keep my spirits high", also telling him why his actions were wrong "without being angry".
He wanted to apologise to them "for not adhering to their warnings".
The paramedics and doctors "didn't judge him on his actions and were pretty cool".
His mum said a facial surgeon stitched him up at the John Hunter Hospital emergency department.
"He had no concussion, brain bleed, fractures or neck injuries," she said.
"The paramedics were baffled about how he could do such an injury and not have any other scrapes on his body."
