Fundraiser supports Sun Princess passenger after spinal cord injury

Steve Junker sustained a spinal cord injury after falling and nearly drowning aboard Sun Princess on Aug. 16, according to a GoFundMe page established on his behalf. He was reportedly found face down and unresponsive in a pool.

An Italian coast guard boat transported Junker to a hospital in Naples, where he was admitted to intensive care and placed on a ventilator, the fundraiser said. He subsequently underwent emergency surgery that was described as successful.

According to the fundraising account, the severity of Junker’s injury led to a diagnosis of quadriplegia, and he was unable to breathe independently. The page did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Nearly $25,000 had been raised by Monday morning to assist with efforts to bring Junker home. Elizabeth Junker, who created the GoFundMe page, said he was on his way home.