A Minnesota pastor has died after suffering a severe spinal injury while on a cruise celebrating his son’s wedding.
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pastor → die → wedding
Stephen “Steve” Junker, a 58-year-old father-of-five from Elbow Lake, fell and nearly drowned aboard the Sun Princess ship on August 16.
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Junker → fall → August
He was found face down and unresponsive in the pool before being rushed to hospital in Naples, Italy, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by his daughter, Elizabeth.
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He → find → daughter
Junker died weeks later at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on September 4, after receiving treatment at the Naples hospital, according to his obituary.
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Junker → die → obituary
Elizabeth wrote that he died surrounded by family after his injuries were found not to be treatable.
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injuries → write → family
Junker, a former pharmacist who graduated from Creighton University, was described in his obituary as a “devoted husband” and “loving father to his five children.”
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who → graduate → children
“Steve faced life, and death, with a quiet and unshakable faith, never afraid of what was to come,” the tribute reads.
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tribute → face → faith
“Even in his final moments, his thoughts turned to the church and the people he loved.”
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he → turn → church
In a statement given to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Princess Cruises, which operates the Sun Princess, offered their condolences to Junker’s family.
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which → give → family
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our guest and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this extraordinarily difficult time,” the statement read.
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statement → sadden → time
“The guest was attended to by the ship's medical team and subsequently transferred ashore for further care.”
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guest → attend → care
Further details of his fall have not been disclosed.
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details → disclose → fall
According to Elizabeth’s fundraiser, Junker was found to have suffered a severe compression of his spinal cord at the C3-C4 level of his neck - located near the jawline - by doctors at the Naples hospital.
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Junker → accord → hospital
On August 17, a day after the injury, he underwent emergency surgery to stabilize the damaged area and relieve pressure on his spinal cord.
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he → undergo → cord
However, Elizabeth says that he was left unable to breathe on his own, requiring the assistance of a mechanical ventilator.
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he → say → ventilator
He was sedated and intubated at the time.
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He → sedate → time
Junker was also being treated for a drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection around his lungs, which may have been caused by his near-drowning, with Elizabeth noting that he was critical but hemodynamically stable at the time.
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he → treat → time
Hemodynamically stable means that a patient’s blood pressure, heart rate and blood flow are at normal levels.
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pressure → mean → levels
Elizabeth also detailed her family’s struggle “navigating the Italian healthcare system,” suggesting that they have only received “scraps of information.”
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they → detail → information
The family had tried to get him transferred to a hospital in the United States with the goal of making him “as comfortable as possible.”
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him → try → goal
Jeanine Junker, the late pastor’s wife, shared her own tribute to the father of five on the Chippewa Lutheran Church’s Facebook page.
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Junker → share → page
“Mourning the loss of a Pastor for our church family is very difficult to understand,” she wrote.
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she → mourn → family
“Pastor Steve was a wonderful person, loved by many, and had a great impact on many people through his faith.”
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Steve → love → faith
Jeanine added, “Love to our community and church family.
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Jeanine → add → community
I am so thankful for all those who have shown so much love and support to our family.”
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who → show → family
The late pastor is survived by his wife, five children, his grandson, his parents and his sister.
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pastor → survive → wife
The Independent has contacted Princess Cruises for comment.
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Independent → contact → comment
The Aporia
