MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A Pennsylvania man and his family came to the Grand Strand for some sun and surf, but now he is bound to a bed.
Family members say Dale Thomas, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was body surfing in the ocean near Surfside Beach, when he suddenly went under the water. When he surfaced, Thomas' daughter, Lindsey, says Thomas was unconscious and bleeding. Doctors would later determine he was paralyzed from the neck down.
"The man can't sit still," Lindsey Thomas says. "So to see him just laying there, not being able to move is just heartbreaking."
Thomas spent about two weeks at a trauma center in Myrtle Beach and then doctors decided to transport him to Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown.
Beach Services, LTD Life Guard Supervisor Jason Cody says he was nearby when the incident happened, and that Thomas' case is the worst he's even seen.
"We see injuries quite often, but the one you're talking about specifically…in all the years I've been doing this, I've never seen anything like that," Cody says.
Cody says Thomas' life changing injury might have been avoided had he used his arms to break the waves before jumping in the water to body surf.
"You let your arms hit the bottom instead of your face and neck and that probably would have prevented the incident," Cody says.
Thomas' wife Kelley says he is still in critical condition at Memorial Medical Center in Pennsylvania, dealing with a number of health besides the paralysis, including pneumonia.
The Thomas family also says they're struggling with medicals bills and debt because Dale Thomas can no longer work.
The Thomas family is accepting donations to help with medical expenses. For more information, call (814) 361-8282.
Copyright 2012 WMBF News. All Rights Reserved.
Family members say Dale Thomas, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was body surfing in the ocean near Surfside Beach, when he suddenly went under the water.
