Soldier paralyzed after heroic action

CRAB ISLAND, Fla. (CNN)- A soldier who dove into stormy water to save a girl from drowning broke his neck in the process. Now, the same grit that led him to help her is helping drive his recovery.

“I’ve been through tougher. This is not gonna set me back,” said Sgt. First Class Tim Brumit.

Brumit has been deployed 11 times in 12 years and is used to acting instinctively in a crisis.

On Saturday, the calm waters of Crab Island were churned up by a storm. He heard screams that a girl was drowning.

“They said ‘don’t go in the water, it’s storming.’ I dove. My misjudgment was that the wave moved out of the way and turned into a foot of water, probably, as soon as I went. I’m 6’4, so I went in the water, hit my head first, and I’m like ‘oh, I’m done.'”

Brumit felt his neck break.

“As soon as I hit I felt a crack, a crunch, and I knew it was broken. I couldn’t move my hands or legs, and I was conscious. No pain at all. I was just like ‘well, if I don’t have anyone see this, I’m not getting out of the water. I tried my best.”

A fellow soldier pulled him out of the water.

Two cervical vertebrae were broken and Brumit’s spinal cord was severely damaged.

Brumit wasn’t sure what his kids would think, but to them he’s still dad.

“All they cared about was the visible scars. they’re like, ‘is that a boo boo?’ I’m like, ‘yeah, it’s a little boo boo, you know.'” he said. “I’ve got to be strong, you know. I want to do that for them.”

People who have suffered from similar injuries aren’t expected to walk, but Brumit says he’s not even worried about it.

“Like in the Army selections or schools I go to, many men cry or fail. If he can do it, why can’t I do it? So I’ll be going for a record time, for sure.”

The girl who nearly drown was rescued by someone on another boat.

Brumit says he wouldn’t hesitate to dive into that water again.