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Cruise Guest Dies Weeks After Sun Princess Pool Fall

A 58-year-old pastor from Minnesota has passed several weeks after a fall and near-drowning on Sun Princess. Stephen Junker was paralyzed in the incident and evacuated in Naples, but was flown back to the US for further treatment.

Junker's death is the latest unfortunate incident to plague Sun Princess, following debut delays, cancelled features, and a crew member overboard. A 58-year-old pastor from Elbow Lake, Minnesota, has passed weeks after suffering a severe injury onboard Princess Cruises' Sun Princess during a family cruise in Italy. Stephen (Steve) Junker fell on Sunday, August 16, 2026 and was found unresponsive in the ship's pool.

It is not clear whether Junker was actually in the pool prior to falling or if he fell on the deck and into the pool. The exact pool where the accident occurred has not been disclosed. Sun Princess has five pools: two on the Lido Deck (Deck 17), an indoor/outdoor pool under the Dome (Deck 17), the Sanctuary Pool (Deck 18), and the WakeView Pool (Deck 8).

According to the family's GoFundMe page, Junker was evacuated from the ship in Naples, Italy via an Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) boat and admitted to a local hospital's…

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