OAK ISLAND, N.C. — The Raleigh man who died in a freak accident at Oak Island will have all of his organs donated to 55 people, his wife confirmed on Twitter Wednesday.
Lee Dingle, 37, was in the ocean playing with his family when an intense wave hit him and knocked him to the ground, breaking his neck, his wife said in a tweet.
His neck broke and his throat swelled, depriving him of oxygen.
Dingle's wife announced on social media that his organs will be donated through Carolina Donor Services. As of Jan, 3, 2019, there were over 3,000 people in North Carolina in need of an organ, according to their website.
"I had no doubts that my husband wanted for his body to benefit others," Shannon Dingle tweeted.
This situation hits close to home with Shannon. Donor tissue was used to reconstruct her knee in 2017, she said in a tweet.
"Every time I take a step, it’s with the help of donor tissue," she said. "I walk without pain because someone else said yes on their worst day."
Friends created a GoFundMe on Saturday to support the family. As of Wednesday, they have raised $271,000, surpassing their goal of $200,000.
"Lee would be so moved to see all of the care surrounding his family," Lisa Watterson, the GoFundMe's organizer, said on the fundraiser's page.
