After surviving a life-altering snowboarding accident, an Escondido man has surpassed recovery expectations, a development he attributes to maintaining a positive outlook and fitness routine.
Ehrin Nussbaum, 36, has always liked to be on the move and enjoyed trying new things. Growing up in North County, he could be found surfing, snowboarding, riding motorcycles or skydiving.
“My motto is I’d rather regret the things I did than the things I didn’t do,” Nussbaum said.
Nussbaum picked up snowboarding about seven years ago as a new hobby. Soon, he frequently traveled from his home in Escondido to California’s Bear Mountain and Snow Summit at Big Bear Lake and Mammoth Mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Nussbaum even ventured to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to enjoy time on the slopes.
On Jan. 30, 2022, Nussbaum was enjoying a leisurely day of snowboarding at Big Bear Mountain Resort after hurting his heel while snowboarding the previous week.
When Nussbaum attempted a 15-foot jump, he realized he was falling way too fast after making the jump. Going between 35 and 40 miles per hour, Nussbaum fell 35 feet vertically and 100 feet horizontally before his body slapped the ground, breaking several bones.
At the time, Nussbaum didn’t immediately understand the severity of the damage to his body.
“I thought, ‘Oh this is going to suck tomorrow,’” he said.
But Nussbaum quickly realized his left arm was broken, and he couldn’t move his legs.
Doctors later informed Nussbaum about the catalog of injuries and broken bones sustained in the fall, including a dislocated right leg, fractured hip and femoral head (the “ball” in the hip joint allowing movement), left femur compound fracture (broken bone poking through the skin), and fractures to his L1-L5 vertebrae and left humerus (upper arm bone).
Luckily, Nussbaum was with friends who could find help fast and prevent other snowboarders from hitting him. A rescue team brought him down the mountain on a sled to an ambulance, transporting him to a helicopter to the nearest hospital.
In the helicopter, Nussbaum realized the severity of his situation as he listened to the first responders’ concerns about his condition. According to EMTs, he needed to get to the closest hospital for fear that the bone sticking out of his leg had cut an artery, potentially causing him to bleed out.
Despite the dire situation, Nussbaum tried to stay positive by cracking jokes.
“The one thing I could control at the time was my outlook on the situation,” Nussbaum said. “I had to find what joy I could.”
Nussbaum underwent several surgeries and remained in the hospital for a week and a half before being transferred to an acute care rehabilitation facility near Los Angeles. There, he lived with his sister for several months while in a wheelchair until he was cleared to walk again in May.
Nussbaum spent the early days of his recovery learning what he could do. After his discharge, he set goals with physical therapists and even began working out again in his sister’s home gym.
“I wanted to be as independent as possible,” he said.
After returning home, he went to EōS Fitness in Encinitas. Nussbaum enjoyed returning to the gym atmosphere, reconnecting with a fitness community and accessing a variety of workout equipment and outdoor area features.
EōS Fitness recently selected Nussbaum as its “Submit Your Fit” gym-level winner for its Encinitas location. The contest recognizes gym members with transformational stories of how fitness has improved their lives.
Nussbaum still has some physical limitations, but his recovery so far is beyond expectations. He has even returned to snowboarding, although he promises never to make any big jumps again.
Despite his positive outlook, recovering from his injuries wasn’t easy and took its emotional toll.
“It’s okay not to be okay sometimes, but it’s not okay to stay there,” Nussbaum said. “We have a responsibility to those who are there for us to make a genuine effort to be there for ourselves.
