NEWARK, Del. - Connor Hessler, the North Shores lifeguard hurt during a competition Monday night, is improving. According to Kent Buckson, captain of the North Shores Beach Lifeguards, Hessler underwent a surgery this week that went well.
Hessler is able to sit and stand up and is beginning to navigate walking among other things for the first time after his injury. Without going into specifics, Buckson said most of Hessler's mobility is coming back, with just one area remaining in which he has feeling but no movement yet.
"North Shores staff has been in touch with him and is continuing to pray for him and his family. His family has been appreciative of the community's support," Buckson told CoastTV. "It was traumatic to witness. I can speak for everyone when I say we're excited for him to continue to improve to live a normal and productive life."
Buckson said beach patrols from across the country as far as California and Florida and as close as New York and New Jersey have been reaching out to show their support. Coastal Delaware saw another lifeguarding competition Thursday night with 11 patrols in attendance and Buckson was thankful to say there were no injuries.
"[Hessler's] injury opened the eyes of other beach patrols about making sure we're walking into the water and not diving," he said. He went on to mention changes for upcoming competitions to ensure the safety of the guards so no one will be injured again like Hessler, who suffered a significant injury caused by diving into the ocean during a competition Monday night.
Buckson anticipates that Hessler will be moved from the hospital to a rehab facility for continuing treatment in the coming days. A GoFundMe to support Hessler and his family with medical bills has been organized by Buckson and, at the time of writing, has grown to nearly $59,000.