Chicago firefighter injured in San Francisco triathlon: 'I can't move. I'm paralyzed'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Chicago firefighter faces a difficult recovery after he was injured during a triathlon.

Jose Perez said he takes part in three to four triathlons a year, and was looking forward to the Escape from Alcatraz race earlier this month.

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"It's been a bucket race list I've always wanted to do. I've done other races before like half Iron Man and stuff like that," Perez said.

But, he said nothing like this has ever happened.

When he jumped into the San Francisco Bay to begin the swim portion, he said, another competitor landed on top of him.

"They were just like, 'everybody get off the boat. Everybody, go, go, go. Everybody needs to get off as fast as possible,'" Perez said. "It felt maybe like a few hundred pounds I would say just hit the back of my head, and immediately I just knew, 'I can't move. I'm paralyzed.'"

Unable to move, face down in the water, another racer flipped him on his back, and held his head above water so he could breathe.

"I just heard all the commotion of him and all the other racers kind of just yelling for help and yelling for medical and everybody just yelling. And I never lost consciousness; so, I could vividly remember all this happening," Perez said.

Perez is currently in the intensive care unit, facing a challenging road ahead.

He was partially paralyzed in the June 1 incident.

"I'm in a lot of pain; it sucks to be this situation," Perez said.

Given his profession, Perez says people normally call him for help. But this time, it was the other way around.

The support from the fire department there in San Francisco and his community back in Chicago is giving him hope.

"Definitely giving me a lot of determination to get out of here," Perez said.

Perez is described as a dedicated firefighter and father.

Perez's fellow firefighters have launched a GoFundMe to help him cover medical expenses.