Doug Danilovics and Family

On 9/22, while vacationing with his family, Doug was relaxing on the beach and swimming in the ocean. He innocently walked from the beach to take a dip in the ocean and jumped into a wave.

We don’t know much of what happened after, but a bystander up the beach started waving and was trying to pull Doug from the ocean. Family helped and gave him CPR as he was unconscious. When he finally came to, it became obvious that it was a greater issue than just a little water in the lungs. He was rushed to the hospital by helicopter where it was found that he suffered a broken neck and spinal cord injuries.

He received surgery to repair his crushed C6 vertebrae and they put in a metal disc and spacer. He is in recovery and he is in good spirits, but obviously, this type of injury is incredibly serious. He has some movement in his arms but currently can’t move much else. He is currently hospitalized in Greenville, North Carolina with no release date scheduled. 

Anyone that knows Doug knows he wouldn’t let us do this for him. If we asked or told him he would probably tell us to f**k off, but we know how difficult the road forward will be for him and his family. All proceeds will go to support Doug with his loss of income during this time, his medical bills and physical therapy, and his daughter.

We also understand that creating a Go Fund Me can be controversial depending on the situation. 

To offer clarity regarding circumstances surrounding the event: we had been on the beach less than 15 minutes when the accident occurred, there was no reckless behavior, and we had just begun drinking as it was pretty early in the day. The situation was not fueled by intoxication or stupidity. 

While it’s painfully obvious how random and cruel life can be, we are grateful for his life and grateful for the generosity of so many people. Every day on vacation, Doug would wake up the house at sunrise yelling, “It’s another BEAUTIFUL day in the Outer Banks.” That was also the first thing he said to us in the hospital. That energy is what we carry forward. Thank you to everyone on behalf of Doug and his family.