From KETV 7ABC Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. —A man who was paralyzed and convinced that life would be limited for him is preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

[Video: Paralyzed Omaha man preparing to scuba dive in Cayman Islands]

Jon Scheutz loves to explore.

“I’ve always wanted to do scuba diving, even way before I had my injury,” he said.

After a motorcycle crash in 2007 left him paralyzed from the chest down, Scheutz thought his adventurous days were behind him.

“Two years after I got out of rehab, I started mentoring people with injuries like mine,” he said.

He discovered that his dream could still happen. Thanks to Diventures and the local nonprofit organization QLI, Scheutz gets to feel the thrill of scuba diving.

“When you’re just floating, completely weightless, it’s quiet down there,” he said. “You can’t hear anything. It’s very relaxing.”

Scheutz admits it takes a lot of trust.

“Because I have to rely on somebody else to get me out of there, with my injury, you know, I can’t just swim out of the water,” he said.

Scheutz loves the activity so much that he’s taking his passion abroad.

“I get to go on a trip to (the) Cayman Islands in June and I’m just so blessed to have that opportunity and work with this great group here,” he said.

His advice to others who might feel discouraged is to never give up.

“If you’re as excited about scuba diving as I am, and you have an injury, don’t let that stop you,” he said. “Anything is possible.”

QLI and Diventures teamed up in the past to help people like Scheutz. To donate to their efforts, visit QLIOmaha.com or Jon’s You Caring page.

For more on this story go to: http://www.ketv.com/news/paralyzed-omaha-man-preparing-to-scuba-dive-in-cayman-islands/39190706