Josh Collette, a 42-year-old surfer from San Clemente, California, was paralyzed after diving into the ocean to assist a child caught in a rip current. The incident occurred on August 15 at Riviera Beach, where Collette struck a wall of sand while entering the water.
Collette, a father of five, was at the beach with his family when he observed a child struggling in the water. During an interview with CBS News Los Angeles, his wife, Rose Collette, interpreted for him as he explained that he dove head first and struck the sand. The child who was in the rip current safely exited the water.
Following the accident, Collette was transported to Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, where he remained in the intensive care unit as of Monday. Medical reports indicate that Collette broke two vertebrae and suffered a severe spinal cord injury. He currently reports having no feeling below his shoulders, though he is expected to eventually regain the ability to speak.
The scale of the financial impact is already significant, with the family reporting medical bills and associated expenses that have prompted a public fundraising effort. As of August 25, a GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $221,000 to assist with these costs. For a family of seven, such a figure may cover initial acute hospital stays and emergency surgeries, but long-term spinal cord injury rehabilitation often costs hundreds of thousands of dollars in the first year alone, according to general medical data.
What happens next involves Collette's transition from the intensive care unit to a long-term rehabilitation phase. While his wife reported that he is in good spirits and focused on his family, the timeline for his discharge from Providence Mission Hospital has not been reported. The family continues to seek support through their fundraising page as they navigate the recovery process and wait for potential improvements in his condition.