ST. GEORGE — Dixie State rugby player Jonah Tuttle has poured everything into the sport he loves — even if he has been a bit accident-prone during a standout career with the Red Storm and at Snow Canyon High School.

He’s had knee injuries, leg breaks and even an intestinal injury during his young life.

That’s why many of his coaches and teammates were stunned when they learned of his far-reaching damage after the former Warriors rugby standout crashed on his longboard Sunday afternoon.

For Dixie State rugby coach Scott Moffitt — who also coached Tuttle at Snow Canyon — the news hit him hard. So hard, he didn’t want to believe it at first.

“I think everybody expects Jonah to wake up and start laughing, like he’s just kidding,” an emotional Moffitt said in a rare moment of levity while describing a player who has meant so much to him. “He’s the type of kid who can make it through this.”

The accident, which occurred when Tuttle lost control of his board after a Sunday hike near Snow Canyon State Park, broke his skull in seven places and caused major traumatic brain damage.

“He just wanted to ride his longboard out of the canyon,” said rugby teammate Taris Schramm, who trailed Tuttle at a safe distance in his car prior to the accident. “He’s done it before.

“He started out nice and slow, weaving back and forth, and then slowly picked up speed. He lost control with the speed, got some wobbles, and stepped off (the board) and wrecked on the asphalt and hit his head.”

The crash occurred at a particularly steep portion of the road leading to the park, and a group of nearby hikers — who also happened to be emergency medical personnel — sprinted to the scene to stabilize Tuttle along with his friends.

Washington County police Sgt. David Crouse told the St. George Daily News & Spectrum that the steepness of the road’s grade may have led to the accident.

“It’s a road that’s not open for (skateboarding) and it is not encouraged,” Crouse told the newspaper. “It’s got a pretty good grade to it and he was definitely moving. I would dare say he was going faster than even what the posted speed limit is.”

The group of first responders used a satellite phone to call for an ambulance and LifeFlight, which delivered Tuttle to Dixie Regional Medical Center on Sunday night. Tuttle was almost immediately admitted to the intensive care unit, and underwent two major surgeries to try to relieve pressure off his brain, according to the family’s blog at justwakeupjonah.com.

“They had to remove the top-right portion of his skull to relieve pressure and found that his brain was bruised,” the family detailed in a blog post. “They then removed that portion of his brain.

“Jonah also suffered major road rash on his back and shoulder, which the doctors are going to treat like third-degree burns. They had to scrap and clear the skin to keep it clean and uninfected.”

Teammates and friends expected Tuttle to recover, just as he always has after injuries.

“Jonah is one of my boys,” Moffitt said. “He’s a special kid; the type of kid who if anyone is going to get hurt, it’s Jonah — but he’s also the first person to get back up.”

As many as 60 family members, friends and rugby teammates made it to Dixie Regional that night to be near Tuttle, and many of them stayed with him through most of the week as he went through surgeries and entered a medically induced coma to try to heal his severe brain injuries.

“I would definitely say this has brought us closer as a team,” Schramm said. “It’s shown us the love of the sport and what rugby tries to teach you: to come together as a family.

“It’s our love for Jonah. One of our brothers is injured, and we want to play our hardest to make it special for him.”

Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe page* to help support the Tuttles’ medical bills, and interested donors can also contribute to a Wells Fargo Bank account set up under Jonah Tuttle’s name.

The Dixie State rugby team will dedicate a portion of the halftime and postgame ceremony to Tuttle in the final match of the year Saturday at 1 p.m. at Hansen Stadium in St. George. The match, which will be broadcast on local access Channel 22 in southern Utah, will feature a ceremonial Haka in honor of Tuttle to end the game.

The team will also have a tent set up with T-shirts, stickers and special “Just Wake Up, Jonah” bracelets, with all proceeds going to support the Tuttle family.

“We try to play rugby for the past and frame it as a family,” said Dixie center Corbin Moffitt, a longtime friend of Tuttle. “With the experience of meeting up at the temple and being around Jonah, I feel like there’s been a huge union on the team. We’ve seen camaraderie, we’ve seen brotherhood, and I would definitely say it’s made us a stronger team.”

An avid longboarder and rugby player, Tuttle had recently returned from serving a two-year Spanish-speaking mission for the LDS Church to South Carolina before beginning classes at Dixie State.

It was after he returned that he contacted his former Snow Canyon coach to come over and coach the college club team. Tuttle helped bring a newfound stability to Dixie State rugby, and a newfound success in the local Mountain States Collegiate Conference under the 21-year-old’s guidance. The Red Storm pounded reigning Division I-AA champions Utah Valley, and also picked up wins over more-established programs from UNLV, Colorado State and Weber State.

“The guys want to do their best to help with what they can,” Corbin Moffitt said. “We get the vibe where we feel helpless, so we want to just be there (for the family).

“We’re trying not to be a bother to the family, but still do the best we can.”

With Tuttle starting at hook for most of the season, the Red Storm rattled off wins over every team in its conference save BYU’s second team. They’ve beaten teams like Idaho State, Weber State and Salt Lake Community College, and Tuttle has played a major role.

“Jonah’s fire and attitude toward the game and this club has been instrumental,” said Cameron Moffitt, who also played linebacker alongside Tuttle on Snow Canyon’s football team. “We’re hoping to get to the point where rugby will be known by Dixie State and St. George, and people will know us. It’s been his dream, and he got the fire going in me and other people about the club.”

Dixie State has often had to win in a man-down situation. The Red Storm had just 13 players travel to Idaho State in the season finale, but won 52-47 despite the two-man disadvantage.

“We’ve been down at the start of games all year long. But at the end of the game, we come back and win,” the elder Moffitt said. “That’s Jonah; he’s going to give it his all until the very end. He’s going to get through and find a way to win.”

Go Fund Me*

Donations for Jonah Tuttle

Friends of Jonah Tuttle have set up a GoFundMe account to help the family cover medical expenses. Interested patrons can also donate to a bank account in Jonah Tuttle's name at any Wells Fargo Bank. Daily updates on Jonah's condition can be found at <a href="http://www.justwakeupjonah.com" target="_blank"> justwakeupjonah.com.</a>

Tuttle’s road to recovery could be long, according to doctor’s reports on the blog. But he’s already responded well to several sensory stimuli, and the family is grateful to doctors as well as two blessings from the church for help thus far.

On Friday, the rugby hook’s temperature shot up as his body tried to heal the injuries. Doctors quickly put him on ice, layering cold packs around core portions of his body to keep him cool. They also medically paralyzed him to keep him from shaking and causing further damage, and used tubes to help him feed and breathe in the ICU.

Through it all, Tuttle’s friends and teammates have been there — often simply sitting in the waiting room with little chance to see him or his family.

“There is a continuous flow of people in the ICU waiting room who love Jonah, and this helps bring everyone’s spirit up,” the family blog detailed. “I know that everyone’s prayers have been heard and have helped Jonah and his family very much. Everyone’s hope, whether or not they are religious, has helped Jonah — and he has felt your love.”

It’s been a family affair as Tuttle tries to get better — one bigger than his immediate family, spread by a sport he loves.

“Our team is a family,” Schramm said. “We support each other, no matter what happens. We’re always there through life’s tragedies and through the game of rugby.”

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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