An OSU sophomore is in critical condition after he dove headfirst into a makeshift swimming pool that had no more than 17 inches of water, according to Corvallis police.
Kevin Manning, 20, was at the Sigma Chi fraternity at about 1 a.m. Sunday when he dove into the pool, which had been set up in the house's front yard for an annual party.
Manning is in intensive care at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, a hospital spokesperson confirmed. Manning underwent a six-hour surgery on Monday, according to his brother John Manning, 22, a senior in business administration and marketing.
John Manning, who works for The Daily Barometer's advertising department, said his brother suffered serious spinal injuries. He said that as of late Monday evening, his brother could not feel anything below his chest.
John Manning said Monday's surgery removed a vertebra that was "completely crushed," and fused two others together.
"The surgery went really well," John Manning said. "Better than expected."
The worst-case scenario presented by doctors, he said, is that his brother won't be able to walk again.
Manning was first taken to Corvallis' Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center after rescuers and Corvallis police arrived on the scene at about 1:14 a.m. Sunday, according to Corvallis Police Department Capt. Ron Noble.
John Manning said his brother was taken by ambulance to OHSU at about 6 a.m. Sunday.
Noble said police think Manning had been drinking, but he did not know how much. Noble said tests were probably performed at the hospital.
The investigation is continuing, Noble said.
"We'll look at the circumstances surrounding the injury," said Noble, adding that no alcohol-related citations were handed out on Sunday morning. "If there's anybody who's culpable, that's something we'll look at."
Noble said Manning jumped from a deck near the makeshift pool's edge, about two feet above the water.
Witnesses pulled him from the water after he didn't surface on his own, Noble said.
"People watched and noticed that he wasn't getting up," Noble said. "Most people thought it was a prank at first, and then they rescued him."
Manning's co-worker at OSU Surplus Property, Matt Marvin, jumped into the pool after he didn't come up for 30 seconds, Marvin said.
"I was getting ready to head out, and then he dove in," Marvin said. "I stuck around for him to come up, and he never did."
Marvin said the party at Sigma Chi had already wrapped up, and only a few people were around the pool.
"He dove straight in and I knew it wasn't very deep," Marvin said.
Marvin said that once he looked into the pool, it was clear his friend wasn't joking around.
"He was kind of floating," he said.
Marvin said two passers-by called 911 as he and another person pulled Manning from the pool. Marvin said Manning was unconscious but breathing.
Marvin agreed with police that Manning had been drinking, but he did not know how much. He said Manning was not belligerent.
John Manning said his brother told him that while under water, he was conscious but unable to move.
"He thought he was going to drown," John Manning said.
'Like a dream'
At about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, John Manning woke up thinking about his younger brother.
"I thought he was at my house," he said. "I went upstairs to see if he was there and I heard his roommate yelling.
"It was like a dream. His roommate came charging in the back door ... he said Kevin drowned."
John Manning rushed to his brother's car to drive to the hospital.
Around that time, he heard from other friends that his brother had not actually drowned.
"They said he was talking ... he was OK," he said. "They said he just hit his head really bad ... that he was bleeding pretty bad."
Upon arriving at the hospital, he received a rundown of the incident from a Corvallis police officer.
"The cop said [Kevin] was slurring his speech ... he had hit his head," he said. "They didn't know how much was from the alcohol or from the injury."
It wasn't until several hours later -- at about 3:30 a.m. -- that he learned the true nature of his brother's injuries.
"Nobody gave me any indication that he had actually had a spinal cord injury until a couple of hours later, when the doctor came out and said he couldn't feel his legs," he said. "That just kind of floored me right there."
Without stopping to pass on the news to a group of his brother's friends gathered in the hospital waiting room, John Manning rushed into the hospital room to see his brother.
"I was talking to him," he said. "He was like ... 'Dude, they say it's bad.'"
At about the same time, John Manning said doctors were trying to decide whether or not to send his brother to Portland.
Later, he said a neurosurgeon performed tests to see whether his brother could feel certain parts of his body.
"He tested his feet for feeling ... hit it with the little hammer thing," he said. "Nothing happened there."
After the tests, John Manning said his brother finally got some sleep. He then went to tell his brother's friends about the seriousness of the situation.
"There were about eight buddies who were all just sleeping in the lobby," he said. "I went out and told them ... and they were all crushed by it."
future unclear
As of Monday afternoon, John Manning said his brother was sedated and hooked up to a respirator following a day-long surgery.
John Manning said it is so far unclear whether or not his brother will recover the ability to move below his waist.
"We did get him to squeeze both his hands," he said.
He said doctors have said it is possible that his brother will recover sensation in the rest of his body.
"It's promising in the fact that they say it won't get any worse," he said. "Right now, he has minimal mobility in his arms, in his hands ... that's not going to go away."
John Manning said doctors were also closely watching his brother's breathing. He said his brother complained of difficulty breathing on Monday.
At about 4:30 p.m. Monday -- after the surgery -- John Manning said his brother woke up for a few minutes.
"He tried to pull the respirator out of his mouth," he said. "Obviously, he's scared."
Best buds
Kevin Manning, a sophomore who recently changed his major to English, is a lover of sports who was recently getting into writing, his brother said.
"[Kevin] said the hardest thing he's going to have to learn is a new jump shot," John Manning said. He said his brother especially likes basketball.
John Manning said his brother plays several intramural sports, and described him as a "fun kid to hang out with."
Kevin Manning, from Portland, is the third of four brothers and has a younger sister, John Manning said.
John Manning said his parents are shocked about the incident.
"It's really tough on them," he said.
"Right now, my thoughts are with Kevin," he said. "I love the kid ... he's my bud. We've run around forever -- since the day he was born."
University responds
The party at Sigma Chi was registered with OSU's Office of Greek Life, according to university officials. They said the standard risk management checklist -- designed to ensure safety at Greek functions -- had been completed prior to the event.
Larry Roper, vice provost for student and academic affairs, said Manning was not on the official guest list for the event. An official guest list was submitted by the fraternity prior to the event, as is required by the Office of Greek Life.
John Manning said his brother has friends at the fraternity.
Roper said an accident such as Sunday's triggers OSU's "critical incident response team," which investigates the situation and determines whether any rules were broken.
Bob Kerr, coordinator of Greek Life, could not be reached for comment on Monday. Sigma Chi fraternity members did not answer the house phone on Monday evening.
Meanwhile, John Manning said he plans to open a bank account to accept donations to help cover medical costs for his family.
Ross Mordini, Kevin Manning's good friend and housemate in Corvallis, said friends are sending cards to Portland today.
"This whole tragedy is touching a lot of people," Mordini said. "He's probably the strongest person I know."
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