Skimboarder airlifted to hospital from KDH with spinal injury makes progress on long recovery journey

Colin Tibbs suffered a severe injury while skimboarding in Kill Devil Hills on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the family)

By Corinne Saunders

KILL DEVIL HILLS — The 19-year-old man who was airlifted to a hospital the evening of Tuesday, June 24, following “a severe spinal cord injury” he suffered while skimboarding in the Atlantic Ocean near Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills is making progress on a long recovery journey, according to his family.

Two weeks after his hospitalization, on Tuesday, July 8, Colin Tibbs spoke his first words since the accident, a family member said in an update on his condition. He is still hospitalized but is no longer in the intensive care unit, they told Outer Banks Insider on Wednesday.

They also clarified the circumstances of his injury, saying he did not hit a pier piling as public information originally indicated.

While skimboarding, when Tibbs “went into the water, he hit the bottom of the surf hard enough to cause his injuries,” the family member told Outer Banks Insider. “It’s an unfortunate accident that resulted in life-changing circumstances.”

Tibbs grew up in Perquimans County and has always enjoyed outdoor activities, including fishing, soccer, hiking, snowboarding and surfing. A rising sophomore and collegiate soccer player in Virginia, Tibbs is now “facing a long, uncertain road to recovery,” according to the GoFundMe set up to assist with his medical and rehabilitation expenses.

“It has been so overwhelming the amount of support and love he has,” the family member told Outer Banks Insider. “He is such a genuine person and deserves all the love.”

WTKR News 3 first reported Tibbs’ update and recently presented Randy Tillett with an “Everyday Hero” award for pulling Tibbs out of the water following his accident. Other beachgoers were also credited with performing life-saving measures, including CPR, before first responders arrived.

--------

Editor’s Note: Did you appreciate Outer Banks Insider’s ad-free local news? Subscribe today at this link to access all our in-depth, exclusive reporting, and to support independent local news in the area you love.