Friday, September 4, 2009

Spinal injuries cast clouds over Cape May beach scene

CAPE MAY—It was their 30th wedding anniversary, Judy Taylor of Lansdale, Pa. said. A family tradition, and a tradition for Judy’s wife, David Taylor, since he was eight years old, was to come to Cape May. According to David, a self-proclaimed avid body surfer, the seas were calm on Aug. 17, 2007. Taking notice, he turned to his son who was sitting on the 2nd Avenue beach with him, and said that the body surfing wouldn’t be so good that day.
But, for the love of the sport, David and his son ventured into the calm and enticing Cape May waters.
Since that day, David has been a quadriplegic. It was on that day, like any other summer day at the shore, which he rode a wave in on his 250-pound body and crashed into the steep wall of sand that meets the waters edge along the coastline.
“At the time I weighed 250 pounds, so I didn’t think there was a wave out there that could knock me over,” David said. “There’s no ways to describe this unless you’ve actually experienced this.”
Taylor said that his son had noticed him lying in the shallow water, not moving much and ran over to him, along with Cape May lifeguard Al Pappas, who stabilized him so that he could be transported to a hospital.
Taylor was medevaced to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City to be treated for his injuries. At the time, he was told that he would have a 30 percent chance of recovery.

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