Why Did They Take the Diving Board Off of the Local Pool?

QUESTION: They took the diving board off of our local pool. Why?
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ANSWER: Diving--going head first into water--can be dangerous. Diving is a
leading cause of spinal cord injuries among athletic activities, causing about
1,300 spinal cord injuries per year. Diving injuries also kill, but these
deaths are classed as drownings and so their number is uncertain.
There are several easy ways to reduce the chance of a diving injury.
Most injuries occur during showing off, horseplay, or involve a dare. Never
dive into water you don't know. In lakes or rivers, go into the water feet
first to check how deep it is before diving. In a pool, find out where the
deep area ends or you may overshoot it and slam into the slope leading to the
shallow part. No above-ground pool is deep enough to dive into, so don't even
think about it.
The people who run your local pool decided to eliminate the risk of
diving injuries by removing the diving board and they may have had good
reason. One possible factor may have been their inability to obtain insurance
to cover anyone injured in a diving accident. Whatever the reason, your
actions are clear. Play by the rules. Don't dive in that pool.