Chicago firefighter partially paralyzed after being injured in SF's Escape From Alcatraz triathlon

SAN FRANCISCO -- A Chicago firefighter faces a difficult recovery after he was injured during the San Francisco Escape From Alcatraz triathlon.

Jose Perez said he takes part in three to four triathlons a year and was looking forward to the race starting in the San Francisco Bay earlier this month.

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

But he said nothing like this has ever happened.

When he jumped into the 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.

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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 San Francisco Fire Department 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.