Pastor Steve Junker Dies Weeks After Aug. 16 Sun Princess Pool Accident in Italy
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 12
Pastor Steve Junker Dies Weeks After Aug. 16 Sun Princess Pool Accident in Italy
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 12
Summary
Steve Junker, a pastor from Elbow Lake, Minnesota, died Sept. 4 after suffering a severe spinal cord injury and nearly drowning during an Aug. 16 accident aboard the Sun Princess in Italy.
Family posts said he fell, was later found face down and unresponsive in a pool, then was taken by Italian Coast Guard boat to a Naples hospital, where he underwent emergency spinal surgery.
Princess Cruises said the ship's medical team treated him before he was transferred ashore, and the line expressed condolences after confirming his death.
Aug. 23 marked his transfer to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, after relatives said they faced major medical, logistical and financial hurdles arranging care and transport from overseas.
Chippewa Lutheran Church remembered Junker for his faith and community impact; he is survived by his wife, five children and their spouses, a grandchild and other relatives.
What really caused a healthy pastor to suffer a catastrophic spinal injury in a cruise ship pool during a family celebration?
Could the devastating superbug infection that contributed to this tragic cruise death have been prevented during his desperate international medical evacuation?
Are modern cruise ships truly equipped to handle life-or-death emergencies, or is international medical evacuation a gamble travelers unknowingly take?