Teen breaks neck on last day of lifeguarding internship after hitting head on ocean floor
Finn Renard, 17, is currently being treated at a California hospital following his spinal cord injury
NEED TO KNOW
- Finn Renard hit his head on the ocean floor during a routine training relay at his lifeguarding internship on July 31,
- The teen was taken to a hospital where he underwent spinal surgery
- His mother shared an Aug. 19 update stating that the family is optimistic that Finn will make a full recovery
A 17-year-old boy has been on life support in a California ICU after he broke his neck on the last day of his junior lifeguarding internship.
Finn Renard was taking part in a routine training relay on July 31 when the tragic accident occurred, according to ABC affiliate KGTV.
The teen dove into the ocean off Mission Bay when his head hit the ocean floor, the outlet reported. He was left unconscious for a short time and sustained a spinal cord injury, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser.
After his lifeguarding colleagues came to his aid, Finn was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, the GoFundMe continued, where he had emergency spinal surgery.
“He has regained some movement in his arms but still has no movement in his hands or legs,” the organizer wrote in the fundraiser’s description.
In an update on Wednesday, Aug. 19, Finn’s mother, Courtney, wrote in the GoFundMe that her son was put on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which will allow his lungs to heal after he fought to breathe for more than two weeks.
Speaking with KGTV, Courtney said Finn, who resides in Texas with his family, went to San Diego to take part in the San Diego Junior Lifeguards Program.
“He’s a character, super sweet … when they had brought him in, they were getting ready to perform his surgery … he I guess, told them to remove the mask and he did… he just told everyone, ‘I just wanted to thank you all so much for doing your best to try to keep me alive,’ ” Courtney recalled.
Finn is expected to be transferred to Craig Hospital in Colorado in the coming weeks to begin spinal cord rehabilitation, the GoFundMe added. Courtney described her son as “strong” and “stubborn” in the fundraiser, with the family optimistic that he will make a full recovery.
“His recovery will require months of specialized therapy, medical care, adaptive equipment, travel and ongoing support,” the organizer wrote.
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Meanwhile, Courtney expressed her gratitude to the community following Finn’s accident.
“Everyone has been such a huge support,” she told KGTV.
