Photo: GoFundMe
Scott Muir experienced every surfer’s nightmare last Sunday: floating face down in the surf, unable to take a breath. Luckily, a nearby surfer came to Muir’s aid, allowing him to survive the ordeal.
The incident occurred in Oceanside, California, where Muir had been surfing with his friend Dan, as CBS 8 reports. Things had been going well up until that point, with the pair trading waves with a nearby pair of teens and enjoying an air of encouragement in the lineup.
“The wave threw me over, hit me on my head, on the sand, and I just felt a crunch,” Muir told CBS 8. “I can’t move anything. I’m face down [in] the water, completely unable to move.”
Three waves went by with Muir unable to breathe. “I was pretty sure it was getting really close at the end,” he continued. “I was inhaling salt water. It got pretty dark. I was pretty sure it was over.”
Muir had received significant fractures to his C6 and 7 vertebrae, which had in turn twisted and impinged on his spine, as he explained to the outlet.
However, Scott and Muir’s new-found friend in the lineup, 19-year-old Judah Ely, noticed he was in trouble and came to the rescue. “Out of nowhere, someone comes up and reaches in the water and grabs me and flips me over,” Muir described.
Judah pulled Muir out of the water, and from there he was rushed to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where he is currently recovering. He has regained some movement since the incident, but his recovery is far from over.
“To ensure the best possible recovery, Scott will spend the coming months out of state at an inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation hospital,” explained a GoFundMe dedicated to raising money for Muir’s expenses. “It is anticipated that his recovery will take 12-18 months and will require considerable expenses directly related to his medical care and modifications to his home and vehicles to help them thrive upon his return home.”
Since then Judah, and his friend Thomas, who was also there that day, have visited Muir. “To be able to look them both in the eye and say, ‘You are the reason I get to see my wife again, you are the reason I get to see my daughter and my son,’ I didn’t think I’d ever have that chance,” said Muir.
