David Riley was a rescue diver for the Coast Guard 14 years ago. It was his passion and his mission in life, but a bacterial infection from the ocean stripped it all away. "I woke up with no arms and no legs and in extreme pain," Riley recounted.
Riley had trouble moving but more than anything he had trouble living, "I was in a closet one day with a gun...did some real self examination and found that life was worth living," Riley said.
Riley wants to return to the sea but first he has to learn how to scuba dive again.
His first training session was Wednesday with scuba coach Frank Degnan, "Sometimes teaching scuba is a job but it's always the best job in the world, and when you get guys like this you look forward to coming back the next day," said Degnan.
Riley will train for a few more days. When his skills improve, he will be ready for his first ocean dive. "To be back out with the marine life, it's just gonna be life changing for me," Riley added.
TXT 24
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