An experienced surfer, Scott Muir, suffered a life-changing injury while surfing in Oceanside, California. Muir, a 41-year-old resident of south Orange County, was surfing with his friend Dan Pierson when powerful waves from Hurricane Narda struck the area. As Muir attempted to catch a wave, he heard a "crunch" and instantly lost feeling in his body. The impact left him paralyzed, though his spinal cord was not severed.

Muir's life was saved by two young surfers, Judah Ely and Thomas Alspaugh, who were in the water at the time. Ely noticed Muir's surfboard surface without him and quickly swam over to help. "I started swimming over to him, a wave hit him. He was only visible for one to two seconds," Ely told The Mercury News. Alspaugh, drawing on his junior lifeguard experience, helped stabilize Muir's neck until emergency personnel arrived.

Muir was airlifted to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where he underwent surgery to repair his fractured vertebrae. He has since regained some movement and is continuing his recovery at a rehab facility in Colorado. "I have arm mobility. I can move my left leg," Muir said from his hospital bed, as reported by KFMB.

The surfing community has rallied around Muir, with a GoFundMe campaign set up to support his recovery and help cover medical expenses. Muir, a husband, father, and 12-year US Air Force veteran, expressed gratitude for the support he's received. "I want to say thank you so much for the outpouring of support," he said in a video update shared by Surfer.

His recovery is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

Armstrong & Getty