Finn Renard, 17, suffered a severe spinal cord injury during a July 31 training exercise on Mission Bay.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — A 17-year-old junior lifeguard intern was placed on life support after suffering a severe spinal cord injury when he dove into the water during a training exercise on Mission Bay, according to his family and local news reports.
Finn Renard was injured July 31 during what his family described as a routine training relay on the final day of his San Diego junior lifeguard internship. He ran into the water, dove and struck his head on the ocean floor, briefly losing consciousness. Fellow lifeguards quickly responded before he was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where he underwent emergency surgery.
Renard remained in intensive care nearly three weeks after the accident. His mother, Courtney Renard, told KGTV that her son was on life support as doctors treated complications from his injuries. A family update reported Aug. 19 that he had been placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, to support his body while his lungs recovered.
The family’s fundraiser says Renard suffered a serious spinal cord injury and required emergency surgery to stabilize his cervical spine. After the operation, the family reported that he had regained some movement in his arms but had not regained movement in his hands or legs. Those details came from the family and have not been independently released by the hospital.
Renard lives in Texas with his family, which moved away from San Diego about five years ago. His mother said he continued returning to San Diego during the summer to participate in the Junior Lifeguard Program. She described the program as one of her son’s favorite parts of the year and said the lifeguard community had supported the family since the accident.
The City of San Diego operates the Junior Lifeguard Program through its Lifeguard Services division. Its intern program is open to qualifying applicants who are 15 1/2 to 17 years old and meet running, swimming and interview requirements. The city’s 2026 schedule listed its second Junior Lifeguard session from July 6 through July 31, the date Renard was injured.
Courtney Renard told KGTV that Lifeguard Chief James Gartland was among those who visited her son following the accident. She also recalled Renard thanking medical workers before his surgery for trying to save his life. Her account and other details about his treatment have been shared publicly as the family waits to learn how much function he may recover.
A fundraiser organized on behalf of Courtney Renard has drawn hundreds of donations to help the family with medical care, rehabilitation, adaptive equipment, travel and other expenses. The campaign had raised more than $72,000 toward an $80,000 goal when reviewed Sunday. The total has continued to change as new donations arrive.
The family has said the longer-term plan is for Renard to undergo specialized spinal cord rehabilitation when his medical condition allows. Earlier reports said a transfer to Craig Hospital in Colorado was expected, but no confirmed transfer date has been publicly announced. His immediate treatment has focused on stabilizing him following the spinal injury and subsequent breathing complications.
The accident has drawn attention beyond San Diego as reports about Renard’s condition spread nationally. His mother has thanked people who have supported the family and said they remain hopeful about his recovery. Medical professionals treating Renard have not publicly issued a detailed prognosis, and the extent of any lasting effects from the spinal cord injury remains uncertain.
The latest public reporting reviewed through Sunday said Renard remained hospitalized following the July 31 accident. No newer medical update confirming a major change in his condition was available. His family continues to prepare for what it has described as a long period of treatment and rehabilitation.
Author note: Last updated August 23, 2026.