A San Clemente father of five has been left paralyzed from the neck down after diving into the Pacific Ocean to save a child caught in a rip current.
Josh Collette, 42, was spending the day at Riviera Beach with his family on Saturday, Aug. 15, when a child believed to be about 7 or 8 years old got caught in the current, his sister, Hillary Collette, told KTLA. The child’s mother had headed into the water to try to reach her child, but Josh sprinted past her and went in himself.
Moments after entering the water, Josh hit either rocks or a sandbar and suffered a severe injury. Beachgoers rushed to his aid and helped bring him back to shore.
Josh immediately told his wife he thought he had broken his neck. Doctors later told the family that Josh had been paralyzed from the neck down.
He has not yet been able to speak, though his family has been told he is expected to regain that ability. In the meantime, he has remained in good spirits, his sister said.
The child Josh had rushed into the ocean to help was able to make it safely out of the water before Josh was rescued.
As Josh faces what his family expects will be an extensive recovery, relatives have started an online fundraiser to help with medical bills, long-term therapy and other costs.
“The road ahead will be long, and the recovery will not be easy, we’re holding on to hope,” a family member wrote on the GoFundMe.
“We’ve already seen so many [miracles] and thank everyone for the love, support, and prayers!” The family member added.
In the viral moment that changed the Collette family’s lives, a routine day at the beach turned catastrophic when Josh spotted a young stranger in danger and did not hesitate. The child, estimated to be around seven years old, had been pulled into a rip current at the Orange County shoreline. While the child’s own mother was attempting a rescue, Josh overtook her and plunged into the turbulent water, making contact with either submerged rocks or a sandbar within seconds. The impact shattered his cervical spine, leaving him unable to move his body below the neck and temporarily unable to speak.
Beachgoers witnessed the aftermath and rushed to drag Josh from the surf, while the child he had attempted to save managed to reach safety independently. His instant self-diagnosis to his wife—that he believed his neck was broken—proved accurate, and medical confirmation soon established the devastating scope of his paralysis.
The GoFundMe campaign established by relatives continues to gather donations as the family braces for what they anticipate will be prolonged and intensive rehabilitation.