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Wave off Oak Island breaks Raleigh man's neck, killing father of 6

A Raleigh man died Friday after an intense wave hit him at Oak Island and broke his neck. His throat swelled, depriving him of oxygen.

Posted Updated

By
Bryan Mims
, WRAL reporter, & Deborah Strange, WRAL digital journalist
OAK ISLAND, N.C. — A Raleigh man died Friday after an intense wave hit him at Oak Island, his family said.

Lee Dingle was in the ocean playing with his children when a wave forced his head to the ground, his wife said on social media.

His neck broke, and then his throat swelled, depriving his brain of oxygen.

“A powerful wave at the beach, something totally unexpected,” said April Schweitzer, a friend of the Dingles.

“There was just too much swelling to do anything for him,” she continued.

Dingle was 37.

By 7:30 p.m. Saturday, more than $78,000 was raised for his family on GoFundMe, surpassing its $50,000 goal.

He was president of Atlas Engineering in Raleigh, and he was a model husband and father to the couple’s six children, Schweitzer said.

“I think anyone who knew Lee was just a better person for having known him and for having that example of kindness and love and generosity in our lives,” she said.

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