Community members are rallying around a young Southern California lifeguard who suffered a serious spinal cord injury while on duty.
Isaiah Osorio, 20, is an Orange County native and All-Star athlete who also works as a Junior Lifeguard instructor in Seal Beach.
On June 27, he was teaching future lifeguards various rescue techniques when witnesses said he was on a paddleboard and was taken over by a wave.
The sudden force caused Osorio to hit his head on the ocean floor and his family said he suffered a “life-altering spinal cord injury that changed his world in an instant.”
On Wednesday night, he remains hospitalized and community members are coming together to support his recovery.
Sean Nollan, Executive Director of the Los Alamitos Aquatics Foundation, was Osorio’s water polo coach for many years.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Nollan said. “You have a kid who grew up in the community and made a commitment to aquatics. We have a couple kids here who were junior guards for him and they talked about what a great instructor he is, always positive and smiling.”
Osorio began working as a Seal Beach lifeguard in June 2023. A graduate of Los Alamitos High School, he was planning to start school at UCLA in the fall.
His friends and family said they’re hoping to see him on campus soon and back in the water, however long his rehabilitation may take.
“I know that’s a long road, but I know that’s what everyone wants,” Nollan said. “They want to see him out enjoying the water, which is something he loves.”
A GoFundMe page to help Osorio’s family with medical expenses and his rehabilitation can be found here.
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