Canadian honeymooner, 26, is in Mexican ICU after rogue wave injury

A Canadian honeymooner has been placed on a ventilator after she was struck by a rogue wave at a Mexico beach that left her with a severe spinal injury. Cory Moe (pictured), 26, of Carnduff, Saskatchewan, is fighting for her life in the ICU at Hospital Joya Marina in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, after she was critically injured on January 17.

Cory and husband Dalton got married in December 2021, but held off their honeymoon due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. On the third day of their honeymoon, the couple decided to go boogie boarding when Cory was swept off her board and taken underwater. ‘A rogue wave is what took her in,’ Cory’s older sister Brianne Fitzpatrick told CTV News Regina. ‘It overturned her in the water, but we don’t know how exactly.’ 

Dalton (pictured left) rushed to pull his wife out of the water and dragged her to shore, where they were met by two vacationing nurses who helped stabilize the bride until emergency services arrived. Cory, a registered nurse herself, suffered a cervical spine injury and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. She underwent surgery on a vertebra in her neck to relieve the pressure placed on her spinal cord, according to her sister. Cory could experience swelling around her spinal cord for up to six weeks, according to CTV News Regina, and while they wait for her to get better, she has been placed on a ventilator.

The newlywed is currently seven days post-operation and has begun physical therapy, according to the GoFundMe, which has raised $58,000 of its $75,000 goal. Cory is unable to speak on the ventilator, but was able to before her surgery, according to Brianne. ‘Before her surgery, she said to her surgeon: “I believe in you. You have the knowledge, you have skills and I have faith in you,”‘ Brianne told CTV News Regina. ‘Even in her darkest and hardest hours through this she still remains to be just such a bright light for others and lifts everyone up.’ Cory’s father and other sister have flown to Mexico to be with the couple, while Brianne and her mother Brenda have stayed home in Canada for the time being. They wait anxiously by their phones for updates, but said they are still holding out on hope as Cory is showing ‘promising signs.’ 

The young woman has begun to move her fingers and toes since coming out of surgery. ‘It’s going to be a long, hard, uncertain road ahead,’ Brianne told the Canadian outlet. ‘It’s definitely not a recovery that’s going to be measured in hours or in days, maybe not even weeks.’ The family is drawing on their injured daughter’s hope and resilience to get through this tough time. It’s not the first time Cory has faced spinal issues, as nearly 13 years ago she underwent treatment for scoliosis, which earned her the title of the ‘toughest Fitzpatrick,’ according to CTV News Regina.

‘She endured a lot of pain with it. She’s small, but mighty,’ her mother Brenda told the Canadian outlet. ‘She’s 100 pounds dripping wet, but she’s the toughest of all of us. She gives us all inspiration.’ Their local community has also surrounded the family with support and love, as they have received plenty of phone calls and messages telling them they’re rooting for ‘Team Cory.’ ‘It’s been completely overwhelming,’ Brenda told CTV News Regina. ‘We can’t express how fortunate we are to live in such a tight community, and it is just a testament of what a beautiful soul she is that so many people are reaching out.’ Pictured: Hospital Joya — where Cory is currently recovering.

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