Minnesota Man Dies After Vessel Incident Off Italy
Stephen Junker, 58, died on September 4 after suffering a spinal cord injury and nearly drowning in August, according to a family fundraiser and his daughter.
A family fundraiser said Junker sustained a spinal cord injury and nearly drowned while aboard a vessel off the coast of Italy on August 16. The available account did not provide further details about how the incident occurred.
Following the incident, the coast guard transported Junker to a hospital in Naples, where he was admitted to intensive care. He underwent emergency spinal cord surgery but was left quadriplegic and unable to breathe without assistance from a ventilator, according to the fundraiser.
On August 23, Junker was transported to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for additional treatment. His daughter, Elizabeth, later announced that he died from his injuries on September 4.