Matt Lee is fighting for his life after a spinal injury while bodysurfing. Photo: GoFundMe
A first responder is facing the fight of his life after a bodysurfing accident. Now, friends and family are rallying together to support him in his recovery.
On August 28, Matt Lee was bodysurfing in Carlsbad when he caught a wave that slammed him to the bottom. According to a GoFundMe dedicated to raising funds for his medical bills, Lee sustained fractures to the C4 and C5 vertebrae, along with a complete fracture at C6, resulting in significant paralysis affecting both the arms and legs.
“I remember very vividly hitting the sand and hearing underwater, my neck break,” Lee told ABC 10. “And I was floating face down in the water, totally awake but couldn’t move anything.”
Luckily a friend and coworker of Matt’s, fellow paramedic Bryce Mihaly, was nearby. “Matt’s work partner saw what happened and pulled him out of the water just in time,” described a post in the Facebook group Campbell Boat Owners (of which Matt is a member). “Matt’s girlfriend (who is medically trained) was there and assisted with life-saving actions. Matt was ultimately transported by air to the trauma center where he is currently being treated.”
Since then, Matt has undergone emergency spinal surgery to stabilize and fuse the cervical spine and remove a herniated disc that was compressing the spinal cord. He has regained some sensation, but still faces a long, difficult, and uncertain recovery.
“For more than 21 years, Matt has dedicated a career to serving others, answering emergencies, helping people through their hardest moments, and giving so much to the community as a first responder,” wrote GoFundMe organizer Jennifer Silva. “Now Matt needs that same support in return. Funds raised will help cover hospital and surgical expenses, ongoing medical care, rehabilitation and physical therapy, specialized equipment, medications, transportation, home modifications, and many unexpected costs that come with such a serious injury.”
