Jared Davis of Springville, Tennessee was 20 years old at the time of his injury. While asleep in the back seat of a car, the driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed the vehicle. The wreck blew out Jared’s C-4 and C-5, paralyzing him from the neck down and confining him to a wheelchair. However, Jared hopes to find new freedom in the sport of scuba diving with the Dive Pirates Foundation.
Jared was born in 1985 and enjoyed playing baseball in his youth. He was less enthusiastic about his schoolwork, however, and his grades suffered because of it. Jared instead found his passion in more practical fields, such as welding, machining, and motors. After high school, he enrolled in technical school to pursue this passion.
In the aftermath of his accident, Jared was often melancholic and angry. Much of this anger was about his inability to be an active father for his son, who was three years old at the time of the accident. He struggled with never being able to go out and play ball with his boy or teach him how to ride a bike. Jared had a lot of support from his mother, Cindy, during this time. As a former RN, she understood how to care for him and how to support him through this most difficult of times. Through faith and love from his family, Jared came to terms with his new situation. His son became his emotional support and strength in the coming years, encouraging Jared to be the best father he possibly could.
Before meeting the Dive Pirates, Jared had never considered scuba diving as a viable option for him. However, inspired by his uncle, a dive master, and training with his son Colin, Instructor Cecil Stout of Waterdogs Scuba and Safety