American tourist undergoes life-saving neck surgery after diving accident at Sydney beach

A 23-year-old American on a one-year working visa underwent life-saving surgery after fracturing a vertebra in his neck while swimming at Balmoral Beach in Sydney, hospital and family members said.

Max Allen, from Arizona, was two days into his visa when he dove forward in waist-deep water on September 6 and struck a hidden sandbar, authorities and his family said. The impact fractured his C5 vertebra, leaving him initially unable to move below the neck and requiring emergency surgery at Royal North Shore Hospital.

Surgeons performed a six-hour operation that removed the fractured vertebra, used a bone graft taken from Allen’s hip to fuse the spine, and secured his neck with plates and screws, his father, James Allen, told media. Because nerves at the C5 level help control breathing, Allen was sedated and intubated and placed in intensive care after the procedure.

James Allen said he received a call from his son the evening before the operation and initially suspected a prank, but the surgeon later called to explain the severity of the injury. Allen flew from the United States the following day and his wife arrived a few days later, the family said.

In the days after surgery, Allen’s breathing improved enough for medical staff to remove the breathing tube and move him out of the intensive care unit to the hospital’s acute trauma centre. Hospital and family updates said Allen can eat and communicate. He has limited mobility and partial function: his left side shows significant movement while the right side remains largely affected.

Allen’s family and friends have credited an off-duty lifeguard who rushed to his aid and emergency responders who were nearby, as well as the trauma team at Royal North Shore Hospital, for their rapid response and care.

His younger sister, Olivia Allen, launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with costs associated with international travel for family, rehabilitation, physical therapy, home health care, medications, mobility and assistive equipment, and medical bills while Allen recovers in Sydney. The fundraiser page reported more than $44,000 (US) in donations as of mid-September.

The family said Allen has travel insurance but they are awaiting confirmation from the insurer about coverage for medical transport. If insurance does not cover repatriation, the family plans to use donations to bring him home. Once cleared to travel, the Allens plan to take him to a long-term rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado, where clinicians expect a multi-month recovery course, the family said.

Allen recently finished a degree in urban development and had moved to Sydney, where he reconnected with four Australian roommates and friends. His father said those friends and their families have been a critical support system, often staying at the hospital and keeping vigil during difficult early hours.

The family said Allen’s recovery will be gradual and uncertain, but small improvements are seen as milestones. "Little victories lead to big victories," James Allen said, noting that his son is working toward those gains each day.

The case highlights the potential dangers of seemingly shallow water dives and the speed with which spinal injuries require advanced trauma care. Medical teams emphasize that any suspected neck injury requires immobilization and urgent transport to a facility capable of managing spinal trauma and respiratory complications.