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Scott Muir says he owes his life to creating good vibes in the lineup.
When he slammed his neck on an Oceanside sand bar in September, he suddenly wasn’t able to move his body. A surfer, 19-year-old Judah Ely, noticed and pulled the limp Muir out of the water.
Before the accident, Muir and his friend Dan had been having friendly exchanges with Ely and his friend Thomas. Ely called it gentlemanly as they were sharing waves and encouraging each other.
“The fact that we’d established this camaraderie and goodwill between each other, all of a sudden, he’s taking a second guess, and he’s looking again,” Muir said of when he was lying motionless in the water.
“I’m a firm believer that that interaction with Judah is what saved my life,” he added. “I’m forever indebted to Judah and (his friend) Thomas for what they did. They’re absolutely family now.”
Ely also acknowledged that the banter with Muir was particularly friendly.
“A good interaction in the water is not that common,” he said. “It’s so easy to just get angry at people.”
Since the spinal cord injury, Muir has regained some movement. He can walk slowly, but still has limited strength and sensation from his chest down and in his arms.
