My 36-year-old brother, Anthony Pietrucci Jr., was involved in a severe recreational skydiving accident during a high-performance landing maneuver.
While modern skydiving and tandem jumps remain incredibly safe regulated sports, the advanced solo maneuvers performed by licensed athletes carry a narrow margin for error.
Anthony was rushed via helicopter to Novant hospital in Wilmington with devastating, life-threatening injuries.
He suffered an open-book pelvic fracture, left acetabulum fracture, fractured L1-L5 vertebrae, a broken rib and severe internal bleeding. He has just completed emergency surgery to stop the internal bleeding from his iliac arteries, but this is only the very beginning.
Anthony faces a grueling, agonizingly long road ahead that will require multiple major surgeries, intensive spinal and pelvic stabilization, and a recovery process that will span months, if not years.
Anthony is a self-employed, independent worker in the service and aviation industries—packing parachutes, tandem jumping, and bartending.
He cannot work, he cannot earn a living, and it is entirely up to us—his family, his friends, his patrons, and his skydiving family—to become his safety net.
Anyone who knows Anthony knows he is the walking embodiment of "Life is good." Whether you know him from his years behind the bar at WTF downtown, or from the Southport drop zone where he recently moved to be closer to his passion, you know his impact.
He is the guy who brings the calm, the reassurance, and a ray of sunshine to every room. He’s hilarious, easygoing, loves a good song, and would quite literally give the shirt off his back to anyone.
Every single dollar raised will go directly into a secure account to cover:
- Everyday living expenses (his rent, car payment, and car insurance) so he does not lose his home or vehicle while bedridden
- The massive accumulation of medical transport, trauma response, ICU, surgical, and hospital bills
- Specialized physical therapy and spinal rehabilitation so he can walk again
How You Can Show Up For Anthony:
Because he is facing injuries of this magnitude, and is unable to work for the foreseeable future we are setting an initial goal of $100,000.
It sounds like a mountain, but with the tight-knit power of the skydiving and service industry communities, and the multitude of friends that love him, we can climb it for him.
Anthony has spent years showing up for all of us with a smile and an open heart. Now, it's our turn to show up for him.
If you cannot donate financially, please share this page immediately.
Dropping a link on social media, sending it to local downtown groups, or sharing it within aviation circles will change the trajectory of his life.
I will update this page frequently as Anthony stabilizes from his first surgery. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.