A father of five has been left paralyzed from the neck down after a heroic attempt to save two children from a dangerous rip current off the coast of San Clemente, California. Josh Collette, 45, was swimming in the waters near Riviera Beach on August 15 when he saw the children in distress.
According to his sister, Hillary Collette, the children's mother was moving towards the water to help when Josh, an experienced surfer and swimmer, dove in ahead of her. He struck his head on a sandbar that had formed due to the rip current, causing him to break two vertebrae and severely damage his spinal cord. He is currently unable to feel anything below his shoulders and cannot speak, though he can communicate by mouthing words, with his wife Rose often interpreting.
"I dove head first, and that's my fault. I should not have," Collette told CBS News from his hospital bed. He recalled immediately knowing the injury was severe, experiencing tingling sensations and struggling to breathe as bystanders rushed to assist. His wife performed CPR at the scene.
"We knew right away," Rose Collette stated. "He looked at me dead in the eyes and said, 'I broke my neck. I cannot breathe.'"
Collette explained he had been in the water shortly before the incident and felt confident about the depth. The two children he attempted to save were rescued by others and brought to shore unharmed.
Despite his life-altering injuries, Collette has expressed gratitude for the support from his family and the San Clemente community. A GoFundMe campaign organized to help with medical expenses and future therapy has raised nearly $228,000. He shared a message of hope, stating, "This is hard, but it's bearable because I'm held up by your love."
"Things always work out for me, and I don't know how, but I'm sure things will be so different. I only lose the dumb things like money, surfing, hobbies, but I keep the most important things: my family and my kids. And my heart is full of love."
He added, "I'm a fighter, and I'll do everything I can. If I can stay alive, keep my kids and my faith, then this will be a blessing."
Collette is currently in the intensive care unit at Providence Mission Hospital. An update on the GoFundMe page noted that he had made significant progress in his recovery as of Friday.