Teen left to ‘rot’ after Margate Pier ‘tombstone’ bounce left him mind broken

Jack Dolan, 16, suffered life-changing injuries when he jumped from Margate Pier in June 2024, but his family claim his recovery is now in jeopardy after their local care team allegedly ‘left him to bed-rot’

The family of a teen who suffered catastrophic brain damage from a pier jump has issued a warning, claiming his recovery is being sabotaged by local care services that have left him to “bed-rot”. Jack Dolan’s stepdad, Dave Dolan, 35, from Rainham, Kent, recounted the “heart-breaking” ordeal of June 2024 when Jack went to Margate for a beach day with mates.

At just 16, Jack attempted a front flip off the 26ft Stone Pier, a risky move known as tombstoning. Tragically, he was knocked out cold on impact with the water and spent eight minutes submerged – effectively drowning.

His family, including mum Lisa Dolan, 34, were initially told by medics that Jack was “brain dead” and “wouldn’t make it”. Yet, after weeks in a coma and intensive care, he “miraculously” spoke to his mum in July, gripping her arm and uttering: “Help”.

Following four months in a rehab hospital, where he made “amazing” strides, even managing to say up to 15 words and kick a ball, Jack’s progress has hit a wall since coming home in January this year. His parents are pointing fingers at Medway Council and Medway Community Healthcare for the inadequate care that’s stalling his recovery, forcing them to crowdfund for private physio sessions.

“They’re just not helping him enough, the community care team are leaving him to bed-rot,” said Dave, who split from Jack’s mother in 2019 but remains a dedicated co-parent. “He was doing so well and he seems to have stagnated now, and that’s just through a lack of help from the council. It’s heart-breaking, right now he should be starting his paperwork for the Royal Marines and doing his GCSEs.

“Instead he’s learning to walk and talk again…well he’s not, because he’s not getting the help.”

Jack, who is looked after by his mum Lisa and siblings Faith, 10, and Grace, 9, had gone to Margate on June 23, 2024, for a beach day with mates. Dave revealed Jack was submerged for a harrowing eight minutes before a kayaker found him and dragged him to safety.

After being unconscious underwater, Jack was hooked up to an automated external defibrillator (AED) for 28 minutes and suffered two cardiac arrests, according to Dave.

The teen was then airlifted to King’s College Hospital in London, where his family received the grim news that he was “brain dead” and “wouldn’t make it”.

Following several weeks in intensive care and a fortnight in an induced coma, there were fears that even if Jack did regain consciousness, he would be left in a vegetative state. “He was completely brain damaged, every single part of his brain has brain damage, it’s about as severe as you can get,” Dave revealed.

But in a twist of fate, Dave recounted how Jack showed signs of cognitive awareness in July, just one month after the accident. Amidst the agony of a urine infection, he uttered a single word to his mother.

“He grabbed her wrist and said ‘help’,” Dave recalled. “Even though it was traumatic, he was showing cognitive skills.” Dave went on to describe how Jack began to move his hands while still in hospital, then started looking around the room, recognising people, and expressing emotions through facial expressions.

“It’s a miracle, it’s completely unheard of,” Dave declared. Since his return home in January, Jack has been under the care of Medway Council and Medway Community Healthcare – yet Dave has blasted the “atrocious” level of support provided.

Dave alleges that Medway Community Healthcare has only offered a meagre 20 sessions for the whole year, which has led the family to purchase 50 sessions with a local private physio through funds raised on GoFundMe.

The family is actively fundraising on GoFundMe to afford additional physiotherapy sessions for Jack, having collected over £2,000 to date.

“He will always be somewhat disabled, he will always have some level of brain damage but the next 18 months are crucial,” Dave emphasised.

“With the right intervention and the right support, he could be somewhat walking and talking by the time he’s 20.”

In response, a spokesperson for Medway Council stated: “Having been made aware of the issues, we have contacted Jack’s mum to understand the family’s concerns. Jack’s social care plan was put in place in January and due to be reviewed later this month, however, we will be bringing this review forward to ensure the right level of social care support is in place.

“We will also be arranging a multi-disciplinary meeting with partner agencies to discuss the wider support that may be required in addition to social care.”

To learn more, visit Jack’s fundraising page here: gofundme.com/f/jack-dolans-continuing-physio.

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