SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. – A Brevard County teenager is now out of the hospital and back home more than four months after a personal watercraft accident.
Ryan Meek, 19, along with his girlfriend, Jamie Tewalt, both suffered serious injuries when the Honda watercraft they were riding on hit a dock in a canal off the Banana River near Satellite Beach.
"It's definitely that phone call you just don't ever expect and never want to get," said Ginger Cushman, Meek's mother.
Both teens were airlifted to the hospital in critical condition after the crash.
Although severely injured, Ryan and Jamie were both alive, thanks in large part to an Air Force rescue worker, who heard the crash, jumped into the water and performed lifesaving efforts on them.
"It's just a miracle that he was there and he was who he was and had the training that he did," said Cushman. "He was able to step in and save our kids."
After months of investigating, it was determined by officials that the watercraft's throttle got stuck, causing the teens to lose control.
However, Cushman says Honda is not responsible.
"But they were able to determine that it wasn't driver error, which was very important for us and for Ryan to know that the accident was not his fault," she said.
Ryan doesn't remember anything from that January day.
He recently returned from a hospital in Atlanta where after seven weeks, he emerged from a coma.
Along with suffering a brain injury, the soon-to-be-20-year-old also broke every major bone in both his legs and jaw, and is now enduring an intense rehab schedule.
"He has physical therapy, speech and occupational, and we're looking at upwards of two years for the full recovery," said Cushman.
But for Ryan, he's just glad he's back home.
"Feels good," he said.
If you would like to help the family out financially, you can do so by going to their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ryanandfamily.