Firefighter Hurt In Skim Boarding Accident Returns To Work
HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) -- A South Florida firefighter who broke his neck in a skim boarding accident 15-months ago returned to work Monday.
One foot at a time, one step at a time, Hollywood firefighter Derek Avilez walked to the front door of Station 74 with co-workers watching in silent, smiling awe.
"We got something for you," said his Captain Charles Tullio. "You just gotta come and get it," joked Tullio.
With grit, determination and the grin of accomplishment, Avilez made it to the entrance with help from a walker and received his helmet.
It was followed by cheers, hugs and congratulations from his Captain and each of his co-workers.
This day is a year and a half in the making.
Avilez, a Hollywood firefighter since June 2006, has spent all that time recovering from a near-death experience after a flip on a skim board landed him on his head which broke his neck.
Several of his co-workers happened to be training just feet away on the same beach as his accident and ran to help.
"We started breathing for him and then his eyes opened and we could see he was getting some air in there," described Capt. Tullio. "When his eyes did open, it was amazing. You could tell there was life in his body."
The day after the accident, Avilez underwent six hours of surgery at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood to fuse his neck and stabilize his spinal column. Avilez spent six months in the hospital and went home in a wheelchair. He has defied recovery expectations and has regained movement in his legs and arms, something doctors once thought was impossible.
Through it all, he kept his sense of humor and that's a good thing because the jokes started his first day back on the job.
Avilez, who will be on light duty for Hollywood Fire Chief Virgil Fernandez, has a new third floor office but had a little trouble reaching it when pranksters put an "out of order" sign on the elevator.
"Elevator is out of order, take the stairs," laughed Avilez. Others around him laughed and said "Welcome back, buddy! Welcome back!"
Avilez quickly replied, "All right, who's carrying me?" and someone in the crowd replied, "All of us!"
They have been carrying him, literally, for the past year and a half. His co-workers covered his shifts the whole time in order to make sure he got full pay so his family would be taken care of financially.
"These brothers and sisters have not stopped once, you know and it's awesome to know that my family will not have to struggle for anything through that whole year and a half, it was a big burden off me because I was able to focus on my rehab," said a grateful Avilez.
