On Sept. 19, 1996, Juan \u201cJohn\u201d Alvarez faced a moment that would change his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis black mass coming toward us,\u201d Alvarez recalled the moment his helicopter crashed. \u201cWe braced for impact without having time to do anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alvarez, a Navy officer sworn in in 1986, trained as a pilot and later joined an exchange program flying special operations helicopters. Assigned to the 6th Operations Squadron, he was deployed to Ecuador to assist with border operations.<\/p>\n
During a training flight that September day, Alvarez noticed the helicopter flying unusually low.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told the pilot, \u2018Come up now,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cHe glanced over, and then the nose plunged down.\u201d<\/p>\n
The helicopter crashed into the water.<\/p>\n
Alvarez remembers thinking, I can\u2019t believe this is happening, as he struggled to survive. His safety belt and scuba tank were gone. He fought his way to the surface and activated an inflation device.<\/p>\n
Once above water, he saw his legs were severely injured.<\/p>\n
He began to pray.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told God, I\u2019ll give up my legs, but I can\u2019t do this to them,\u201d he said, referring to his family.<\/p>\n
At the time, his daughters were just 5 and 4 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cI looked up and thought, \u2018You\u2019re going to die here,\u2019\u201d Alvarez said. \u201cI almost accepted it. Then I thought about my daughters \u2014 what would happen to them? I couldn\u2019t do that to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
A canoe appeared nearby, and a Navy SEAL who had been aboard the aircraft helped bring him to safety. At a local hospital, Alvarez underwent surgery and lost one leg. He was later flown to Florida to reunite with his wife and daughters.<\/p>\n
His eldest daughter, Lisette, said the experience shaped how she sees her father.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad is my first hero,\u201d she said. \u201cHe showed what it takes to be worthy of that title.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alvarez, a Miami native and the son of Cuban exiles, set goals for his recovery.<\/p>\n
His first was deeply personal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to walk into Thanksgiving dinner so my grandparents could see me walk,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we did that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He went on to run and even fly again accomplishments doctors had once said were impossible.<\/p>\n