The moment a British tourist was potentially paralysed in a water park accident was filmed by horrified friends.
David Briffaut, 23, is now in intensive care in hospital in Alicante, Spain, with mum Lorraine, 55, by his side.
He is undergoing emergency treatment after breaking two vertebrae in his neck and suffering a spinal cord injury after he was pulled semi-conscious from the water at the aqua park.
The freak accident on the Splash slide at .
His family has chosen to release to the press footage leading up to the accident after friends filmed the talented golfer use the slide.
The footage shows the happy-looking holidaymaker speeding down the slide - just seconds from tragedy.
Mum Lorraine, from Benfleet, Essex,"We are living in every parent's nightmare. Our son went on holiday with his girlfriend and we have been told he might never walk again.
"All we can do now is pray that he can recover."
The teacher told Mail Online : "He is sedated but is aware what has happened to him. David is getting fantastic care at the hospital but we want to get him home to England as soon as he can be moved.
"We are in the hands of the doctors and just have to wait and see. He is getting excellent care, but would like to bring him home as soon as possible."
David was on holiday in Benidorm with his girlfriend Penny Bristow when the accident happened on July 8.
The couple slid face down on red mats on Splash.
But after the impact, David is said to have briefly lost consciousness and, when he came round, was reported as saying: "I can't feel my legs."
He was rushed to hospital by ambulance where he remains.
David's uncle Mark Pooley said: "David is a wonderful young man, who was enjoying an innocent day out with his girlfriend. We are praying for a miracle, but have been told the injuries he has sustained are very traumatic."
The Briffaut family have set up a crowd funding appeal to raise £75,000 to raise funds to help in the care and treatment of David when he returns home.
Appealing for funds, the page says: "Our thoughts and our prayers are with David and his family. The catastrophic injuries mean that David will need life-long care. His life has changed and so has the lives of those closet to him."
The Aqualandia water park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Benidorm and open all year round.
A spokesman for the attraction denied the slide is unsafe.
He added: "We have video footage which shows Mr Briffaut didn't follow the guidelines for Splash.
"Aqualandia has a long, 34-year history and safety is out top priority. Our rules and recommendations are clearly displayed all the park and must be adhered to by our visitors."
Click here to donate to the family's JustGiving account.
