Alli Simpson survives broken neck in shock diving accident

Singer and actor Alli Simpson is “the luckiest girl in the world” after a dive into a shallow pool left her with a broken neck that narrowly missed her spinal chord.

Alli Simpson is facing a long recovery after breaking her neck in two places during a shocking pool accident.

The singer, model, actor and host suffered the serious injury diving into a shallow pool on New Year’s Eve and miraculously missed damaging her spinal chord.

Her brother, singer and swimmer Cody Simpson, helped rescue her after she hit her head and blacked out near their home on the Gold Coast.

Cody and Alli Simpson. Picture: Damian Shaw

“She’s broken her neck in two places but she’s the luckiest girl in the world,’’ Simpson’s mum Angie told the Herald Sun.

“The neurosurgeons told us it could have been a lot worse. We are still in shock, it was a couple of millimetres off her spinal chord and it’s a miracle she can walk. They said they’d never seen anything like this, there was someone looking out for her — she was meant to be on this earth.”

Alli posted about her ordeal: “I am extremely lucky to be alive and/or not quariplegic as it JUST missed my spinal chord... to say the least — I have a new lease on life & will be forever grateful that it was not worse!”

Angie said they spent New Year’s Eve in the spinal ward at Southport hospital after the incident when Alli, 23, dived into the water but didn’t realise the depth.

“She hit her head and blacked out, it was very scary,’’ Angie said.

“Cody and I raced to her and got an ambulance. He was quite distraught. She’s strong and a trooper and it’ll take about six months at least before she can walk properly again.

“It’s a warning to all our friends that you can dive in and be silly and not realise the depth.”

Simpson is facing a long road to recovery. Picture Glenn Hampson

Compounding the scare was Alli falling unwell and needing a Covid test.

Angie managed to find a rapid test which came back positive.

“It’s a double whammy now with Covid and watching her trying to cough and not being able to move her neck is heartbreaking,’’ Angie said. “She can walk slowly, it’s a C6 and T1 break.”

Alli, who was part of the I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! series last year, will undergo a scan in three weeks but is expected to be in a hard neck brace for four months.

Simpson has more than a million Instagram followers and has had a successful singing and radio hosting career.