Olympic star Amy Van Dyken severs spinal cord in crash

Six-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Amy Van Dyken severed her spinal cord in an all-terrain vehicle accident over the weekend, and she told emergency workers she could not move her toes or feel anything touching her legs.

The 41-year-old swimmer, who goes by her married name Amy Van Dyken Rouen, was injured on Friday. She was airlifted to a hospital and had surgery to stabilise her spine.

Hospital spokeswoman Alice Giedraitis didn’t provide details on Rouen’s injuries. She said the swimmer was in good condition on Monday afternoon.

A letter from the Van Dyken and Rouen families said she severed her spinal cord at the T11 vertebrae and that the broken vertebrae came within millimetres of rupturing her aorta.

“Amy awoke within hours of surgery acting like her typical spunky, boisterous, ebullient self and has spent the last 24 hours entertaining her family and her medical staff in the ICU,” the letter said.

A report by the Show Low Police Department said the ATV that Rouen was driving hit a curb in a restaurant parking lot and sent her over a drop-off of about one metre.

Rouen was found lying on the ground next to the ATV. She was strapped to a backboard and airlifted to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center.