Father of Five Paralyzed After Diving Into Ocean to Save Two Children Recalls the Moment He Felt His Neck ‘Snap’

Josh Collette.

A California father of five who was left paralyzed after diving into the ocean to help two children caught in a dangerous rip current is speaking about the terrifying moment that changed his life.

Josh Collette, 42, suffered a devastating spinal cord injury on Aug. 15 while spending time with his family at Riviera Beach in San Clemente, California.

According to his family, Josh saw two children struggling in the water and immediately moved to help them.

What happened next took only seconds.

Josh dove headfirst into the ocean, but instead of entering deep water, he struck a wall of sand that had formed beneath the surface because of the swell and rip-current conditions.

The impact broke two vertebrae in his neck and severely damaged his spinal cord.

Both children ultimately made it safely out of the water.

Josh, however, was left unable to feel anything below his shoulders.

After spending approximately two weeks in the intensive care unit, Josh recalled the accident from his hospital bed during an interview with CBS Los Angeles.

Because he was unable to speak at the time, his wife, Rose, interpreted what he was saying by reading his lips.

Josh remembered the exact sensation he experienced immediately after hitting the sand.

He said he felt “a snap” in his neck.

Within moments, he realized that something was terribly wrong.

“I could feel myself dying,” Josh recalled.

He said he could no longer breathe as people around him worked to pull him from the water.

“I couldn’t breathe, and they pulled me up out of the water,” he said.

Josh, an experienced surfer and swimmer, also acknowledged that diving headfirst into the water had been a dangerous decision.

“I dove headfirst, and that’s my fault,” he said. “I should not have.”

But even with the consequences he now faces, Josh said he would still try to help someone in danger if he were placed in the same situation again.

His instinct that day, according to his family, was simply to help.

Josh’s sister, Hillary, previously told KTLA that her brother was injured after diving into the water and striking a sandbar.

The seriousness of the accident became apparent almost immediately after rescuers brought him back to shore.

Rose began giving her husband mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

She told CBS Los Angeles that she and others around Josh quickly understood that his injuries were severe.

“We knew right away,” Rose said.

She remembered Josh looking directly at her and telling her, “I broke my neck. I cannot breathe.”

He was rushed to Providence Mission Hospital, where doctors determined that he had fractured two vertebrae and sustained extensive damage to his spinal cord.

The injury left him without sensation below his shoulders.

For Josh and his family, the accident marked the beginning of what they know will be a long and uncertain recovery.

Josh has five children, making the sudden change in his physical condition especially difficult for the family as they adjust to an entirely new reality.

His loved ones have since focused on getting him access to specialized rehabilitation and spinal cord treatment.

A GoFundMe campaign was established on behalf of the family to help cover the costs associated with his care and to support plans to transfer him to a facility in Colorado that specializes in spinal cord injuries.

The fundraiser explains that Josh was injured in an ocean accident on Aug. 15 and suffered a spinal cord injury.

Those organizing the campaign acknowledged that his recovery will be extremely challenging.

“The road ahead will be long, and the recovery will not be easy,” the fundraiser states.

Still, the family says it is refusing to give up hope.

“We’re holding on to hope. We believe in miracles!” the message continues.

The family also expressed gratitude for the support they have already received and encouraged people to continue keeping Josh in their thoughts and prayers.

“We’ve already seen so many and thank everyone for the love, support and prayers!” the fundraiser states. “Please keep praying for miracles! It’s working!”

That support has extended far beyond financial donations.

Members of the local community have rallied around Josh, Rose and their five children since the accident.

Friends, neighbors and other supporters have helped prepare and deliver meals to the family.

Others have helped care for the children while Rose spends time supporting Josh through his hospitalization and recovery.

Even everyday responsibilities have been taken over by members of the community, including walking the family’s dog.

For Josh, those gestures have made a profound emotional impact.

Despite the physical challenges he now faces, he said the overwhelming support has filled him with gratitude.

“My spirit, my heart, is so full,” Josh said.

“I’ve never felt so much love.”

His wife believes that Josh’s decision to rush toward danger rather than away from it reflects the person he has always been.

According to Rose, helping others is part of her husband’s personality.

“He’s always loved to save the day,” she said.

To his family, the fact that Josh was seriously injured while trying to protect two children only reinforces how they already viewed him.

“I just feel like he’s our family hero,” Rose said.

The accident also highlights the unpredictable dangers associated with rip currents and changing ocean conditions.

Rip currents can move rapidly away from shore and can overwhelm even strong swimmers. Sandbars and shifting underwater terrain can create additional hazards, particularly when someone dives into water without knowing its depth.

In Josh’s case, the combination of the swell, current and accumulated sand created what he described as a wall beneath the surface.

The impact caused catastrophic injuries in an instant.

His own experience as a surfer and swimmer did not prevent the accident.

Josh has made clear that he understands the danger of the headfirst dive and now recognizes that he should not have entered the water in that way.

Nevertheless, when he reflects on why he went into the ocean, he has no regrets about wanting to help the children.

For Rose and their family, the focus is now on Josh’s medical care, rehabilitation and the possibility of recovering as much function as possible.

Moving him to a specialized Colorado rehabilitation facility represents one of the next major steps in that process.

The family knows there are no guarantees about what the future will bring.

Spinal cord injuries can involve long-term physical limitations and require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation and assistance.

Josh Collette.

But Josh’s loved ones say they remain hopeful.

They are also drawing strength from the enormous network of people who have stepped forward since the accident.

What began as an ordinary family day at the beach has permanently changed the Collettes’ lives.

Two children were able to escape the dangerous current safely, while Josh suffered injuries that left him facing a completely different future.

Yet even from his hospital bed, unable to speak normally and with no sensation below his shoulders, Josh continues to focus on the support surrounding him rather than only on what he has lost.

And despite everything that happened when he entered the water that day, he says his instinct to help has not changed.

If another person were in danger, Josh says he would still want to act.

For his wife, that willingness says everything about the man she knows.

He may now be facing the most difficult battle of his life, but to his family, Josh Collette remains what he was before the accident — the person who would risk everything to save someone else.