College freshman moves forward with life after serious accident on Lake Norman

LAKE NORMAN, N.C. — A college freshman’s life was forever changed after a Jet Ski accident on Aug. 13, 2020. Alex King has spent months in recovery and is now prepared to move forward with his life.

His father, Tony King, got the phone call that day about the accident.

“Luckily, his friend was able to call 911,” Tony King said.

The cellphone was dropped in the water but dispatchers at MEDIC pinpointed Alex King’s location on Lake Norman and rescued him.

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He was taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center with a traumatic brain injury, broken bones and a bleeding lung.

“I remember telling them that we needed to operate, and we needed to do it now,” said Dr. John Green, a surgeon at Atrium Health CMC Trauma Critical Care.

Alex King was about to go to college when the accident happened but instead went into therapy.

“He had to learn to eat,” Tony King said. “He had to learn to talk. He had to learn to poop. Learn to walk. I mean, just starting over in life again.”

Alex King has made tremendous strides in his recovery since then.

“Dr. Green saved my life. I can never say enough to him,” Alex King said.

>> In the video at the top of this page, watch the reunion and an update on Alex’s road to recovery.