A chance dive into the waters of the East River by a Mathews man earlier this month could have resulted in a tragedy, but the quick thinking of friends helped avert disaster.

And, in the days that have followed, the community has rallied behind the young man left injured to help him and his family with mounting medical costs.

Mathews resident William Scott Smith was out on his 25-foot skiff on July 11 when he came up alongside some friends and spontaneously decided to dive into the water. Among the friends who were also out on their boats were Brandon and Lindsay Haywood. The two said they and other friends were immediately concerned when Smith came up to the surface face-down in the water. They said a number of people quickly got in the water and rolled Smith over, finding him responsive but dazed. He said he couldn’t move.

Lindsay called 911 and ran to Poplar Grove Road to flag down the rescue squad while Brandon and others supported Smith in the water, making sure to hold ...