Parents Of Student Who Broke Neck In Spring Break Surfing Accident Warmed By Locals' Generosity

NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A spring break trip to Southern California has left a Utah college student with a broken neck.

Matt Bowen's mother, Vickie Bowen, got the scariest phone call of her life after her son, Matt, was involved in a serious accident while body surfing with friends in Huntington Beach during spring break from Utah State University.

"A wave just took him over and dumped him on his head and broke his neck. Any longer and he could have not been with us," she said, adding the family is simply grateful Matt's alive.

The student's parents jumped on a plane from Utah to be by Matt's side at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach.

They didn't come with much but found more here than they ever expected as the community rallied around them.

"A lady came to visit the other day. She offered for me to borrow her car for the time being, so I'm driving her car around. It's awesome. She didn't know me before," Vickie Bowen said.

Newport Beach resident Tom Thorkelson is another example of the generosity the family has received.

He heard Matt's family was paying for a hotel and quickly offered up his guest room.

"This is Mormon culture: When somebody is in trouble, we band together, and we're going to see everything they need is met," Thorkelson said.

Dozens of people in the community, most of them strangers, have offered help.

It's generosity that allows the Bowen family to stay by their son's side.

"I'm just amazed at the love people have. There are good people," Vickie Bowen said. "He just looks at me and says, 'Don't leave, ever,' and it just breaks my heart as a mother, but we're going to get through it, we're going to get through it."

Doctors say Matt will need to stay at Hoag for a few more weeks before he can be transferred to a hospital in Utah.

He's expected to make a full recovery.

If you would like to offer support to the Bowen family, visit their Facebook page, "Miracles for Matt."