California Father Paralyzed After Diving into Ocean to Save Child from Rip Current

A father of five from California has been left paralyzed from the neck down following a valiant effort to rescue a child caught in a rip current in the ocean.

Josh Collette, 42, was enjoying a family day at Riviera Beach in San Clemente on August 15 when a young child, estimated to be between seven and eight years old, found themselves struggling against a powerful rip current. This account was provided by his sister, Hillary Collette.

Heroic Rescue Attempt Leads to Severe Injury

The child's mother initially entered the water to reach her son or daughter. However, Mr. Collette quickly surpassed her, diving into the ocean to assist the struggling youngster, his sister explained. Upon his entry into the water, Mr. Collette's sister reported that he collided with either a sandbar or submerged rocks, resulting in an immediate and severe injury.

Bystanders quickly came to his assistance, helping to extract him from the surf. Immediately after being pulled ashore, he communicated to his wife that he suspected he had fractured his neck. Fortunately, the child Mr. Collette had rushed to aid was safely brought out of the water before rescuers could fully attend to him, according to his sister.

Long Road to Recovery Ahead

Medical professionals later informed the family that Josh Collette had indeed sustained injuries leading to paralysis from the neck down. While currently unable to speak, he can communicate by moving his lips, his sister noted, adding that the family remains hopeful he will recover his speech capabilities.

In response to the extensive medical needs and the challenging road to recovery, his family launched an online fundraising campaign to help cover medical expenses, long-term therapy, and provide support as they face this arduous journey.

"Josh was hurt in an ocean accident on Sat Aug 15th he has a spinal cord injury. The road ahead will be long, and the recovery will not be easy, we’re holding on to hope."

The fundraiser added:

"We believe in miracles! We’ve already seen so many and thank everyone for the love, support, and prayers! Please keep praying for miracles! Its working!"

An update posted on Friday indicated that it would be some time before he could be weaned off his medications. The family also included a photograph of Josh Collette from his hospital bed.

The family shared another message on the fundraiser:

"Yesterday was so positive and productive! So, it was hard to have a day with less progress. This guy hates medicine! He's trying hard to get off of everything... but, that's going to take some time. Thank you so much for all the prayers, love, and support. We love you all so much and feel so loved by all the help you’ve given us. We’re hanging in there and so grateful for all of you."

As of Sunday evening, the fundraising campaign had garnered nearly $110,000 in donations.