SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — This was the last picture Diana Torroledo took on her phone before disaster struck…
Just moments later, a sudden surge of high surf dragged both her boyfriend Ash and her into the ocean.
Rescue crews raced to help. Firefighters, lifeguards, and a helicopter team searched for them in the water, battling strong winds and rough waves. Both were pulled from the surf, but Diana was unconscious.
She was rushed to the hospital with traumatic injuries. Diana was in a coma for three days and has been fighting for her life ever since.
Her boyfriend’s sister sent Diana’s sister, Carolina, a picture of her in the hospital explaining what had happened. At first, Carolina thought it was a scam text. It wasn’t until she clicked into the picture that she recognized her younger sister’s swollen face.
“I don’t think I’ve experienced this level of panic ever before when I saw her," Carolina says. "It’s an inexblicable feeling. My whole body shook, and I didn’t know what was happening.”
Carolina flew from Colombia to San Diego four days later and has been helping her sister in her recovery.
“Diana is having short-term memory loss problems. Every day for her is a challenge," Carolina tells ABC 10News. "Just this morning she asked me if this was a dream or a nightmare. She didn’t know where she was."
Time in the hospital is not cheap. She says the restoration of her basic memory functions with the help from doctors will take anywhere from 6 months to a year.
Diana can’t work right now, and with the rest of her family living in Colombia, they’ve been taking turns flying in to support her. That’s why they started a Gofundme, which has already raised over 21 thousand dollars.
Despite it all… Carolina still smiles. I asked her how she manages to do it.
“I have no idea. It’s been a very difficult and unexpected situation," Carolina says. "But her being alive makes it up for it all.”
