Minnesota Pastor Dies After Severe Spinal Injury on Cruise for Son’s Wedding

Minnesota pastor dies after spinal injury on cruise for son's wedding. Family shares details of his critical condition and treatment in Italy.

Editorial Desk

September 14, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Elbow Lake, Minnesota — A Minnesota pastor has passed away following a severe spinal injury sustained during a cruise celebrating his son’s wedding.

Stephen “Steve” Junker, 58, fell into a swimming pool aboard the Sun Princess ship on August 16 and was found unresponsive. He was taken to a hospital in Naples, Italy, where he later died at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on September 4, according to his obituary.

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Junker, a father of five and former pharmacist, suffered a serious spinal cord compression at the C3-C4 level, near his jawline. He underwent emergency surgery the next day but remained on a ventilator and battled a drug-resistant infection. His daughter, Elizabeth, described the family’s struggle with the Italian healthcare system and their efforts to transfer him back to the U.S. for better care.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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