A San Clemente father of five was left paralyzed from the neck down after diving into the ocean to help a young child caught in a rip current, his family told KTLA.

Josh, 42, was at Riviera Beach with his family on Saturday, Aug. 15, when a 7- or 8-year-old child became caught in a rip current, according to Josh’s sister, Hillary Collette.

The child’s mother went into the water to help, but Josh ran past her and dove into the ocean, Collette said.

As he entered the water, Josh struck either a sandbar or rocks and was immediately injured. Several people helped pull him from the water, and Josh told his wife right away that he believed he had broken his neck.

Doctors have since told the family that Josh is paralyzed from the neck down, according to Collette.

He is currently unable to speak but is expected to eventually regain that ability. For now, he has been communicating by moving his lips and has remained in good spirits, his sister said.

The child Josh was attempting to help was safely out of the water before Josh himself was rescued, Collette told KTLA.

Josh is a husband and father of five. His family has launched an online fundraiser as they prepare for what they described as a long and difficult recovery.

“Josh was hurt in an ocean accident on Sat Aug 15th he has a spinal cord injury,” a family member wrote on Instagram. “The road ahead will be long, and the recovery will not be easy, we’re holding on to hope.”

Josh is seen with his wife and five children before suffering a spinal cord injury in an ocean accident in San Clemente in August 2026. (GoFundMe)
Josh, a 42-year-old San Clemente father of five, is seen with a surfboard before suffering a spinal cord injury in August 2026. (GoFundMe)
Josh is seen with his wife and five children before suffering a spinal cord injury in an ocean accident in San Clemente in August 2026. (GoFundMe)

The family said donations will be used to help cover medical bills, long-term therapy and other expenses as they navigate his recovery.

“We’ve already seen so many [miracles] and thank everyone for the love, support, and prayers,” the post said. “Please keep praying for miracles!”

The family is accepting donations through a GoFundMe and Venmo account.