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A newly engaged New Jersey man was critically injured after he reportedly jumped into the sea from a height of nearly 100 feet while vacationing in Italy with his fiancée.
Jacob Fleig, a 22-year-old from Berlin, New Jersey, was visiting Fiordo di Furore, a narrow inlet along the Amalfi Coast, on Oct. 5 when he jumped from the coastal road above the water, according to U.S. and Italian reports.
He has undergone multiple life-saving procedures and surgeries and was in intensive care, his brother, Jimmy Dorner, wrote in a GoFundMe campaign about him earlier this week.
TOURISTS SHOCKED AFTER INNOCENT VACATION ACTIVITY LANDS THEM IN HOT WATER WITH LOCALS
“Currently, our main priority is getting him medically stable and strong enough to be transported back to America where he can continue with future surgeries, therapy and ongoing care,” Dorner wrote.
A day after the incident, a cousin wrote on Facebook that Fleig was in a medically induced coma at a Salerno hospital as his mother and brother traveled to be with him.
Jacob Fleig, 22, of New Jersey was critically injured while vacationing on Italy’s Amalfi Coast with his girlfriend, his family said. (GoFundMe)
She also said Fleig proposed to his girlfriend after they landed in Italy — and she said yes.
Fleig struck the water in a bad position and suffered a cut to his back, Italian outlet RaiNews reported.
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Emergency medical responders took him to a hospital before he was transferred by helicopter to Salerno.
The day after the accident, Fleig’s injury was determined to be serious but not life-threatening, the same outlet said.
Fleig proposed to his girlfriend after they landed in Italy, according to a cousin’s Facebook post. (GoFundMe)
Fleig is currently studying electrical engineering, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Dorner described his brother as “a light in every life he encounters,” adding that his humor and charisma are among the first things people notice about him.
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“Jacob has persevered through many adversities in life and has always come out a stronger man,” he added.
The fundraiser took in more than $47,000 of its $50,000 goal as of Saturday afternoon.
Fiordo di Furore is a scenic stop on the Amalfi Coast, where a bridge spans a narrow gorge above a small beach. (iStock)
Fiordo di Furore is a scenic gorge and popular stop on the UNESCO-listed Amalfi Coast, with a small beach beneath a bridge.
Italy’s tourism site notes that professional divers leap from the cliffs during organized events.
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The broader coast also attracts thrill-seeking tourists who jump from rocks and bridges, according to the New York Post.
A woman slipped and fell at the cove in 2023, which was caught in a viral video, the outlet reported.
A bridge carrying the Amalfi Coast road crosses above the small beach at Fiordo di Furore. (iStock)
It also quoted a local resident who criticized the mass tourism in the area.
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Government agencies warn that hidden rocks or shallow water can cause serious injury or death, and advise visitors not to dive into unfamiliar water and to follow local warnings.
Professional high divers, pictured above, are shown leaping from cliffs nearly 100 feet above the water during events at Fiordo di Furore. (Sonia Brandolone/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Digital reached out to Fleig’s family for comment.
