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Community rallies behind husband, father badly hurt in wave accident at Delaware beach
Barry Fragale, a husband and father of two, said he was on a boogie board in the water off Bethany Beach when a wave came crashing down on top of him. Barry was airlifted to Christiana Hospital where he underwent two surgeries and remains hospitalized over two weeks later.
PHILADELPHIA - A local man faces a long road to recovery after he was badly injured in a boogie boarding accident while vacationing on the Delaware beach.
Barry Fragale, a husband and father of two, said he was on a boogie board in the water off Bethany Beach when a wave came crashing down on top of him.
"I never should have done it," Barry told FOX 29's Dawn Timmeny. "I heard my neck snap, and I never lost consciousness."
Barry's 13-year-old daughter was in the water when the freak accident happened and his wife was on the beach.
"Him laying on the sand with all the lifeguards around him is a picture, I don't think any of us are going to forget," Barry's wife Monica Fragale said.
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Barry was airlifted to Christiana Hospital where he underwent two surgeries and remains hospitalized over two weeks later.
Barry's road to recovery is long, but he said he's starting to get feeling and movement back little-by-little.
Along with his brother, Mike, Barry is the part-owner of Fragale's barber shop in Kennett Square.
"I still wake up every day and come in, I'm thinking this is gonna go away, and I open the door and he's not here," Mike said. "It's been tough, you know?"
Barry Fragale was injured in a wave accident while vacationing with family on a Delaware beach.
In the wake of Barry's unfortunate accident, the community that he serves has stepped up to help one of their own.
A GoFundMe campaign started on behalf of Barry has raised over $100k at this writing, and a local automotive shop is holding a fundraiser.
"I don't know what I'd do, the community has been so good to my family," Barry said.
Monica said the outpouring of support from the community has left her in awe.
"It leaves me feeling awed, that my husband is very much loved in this community," Monica said.
Meanwhile, Barry is keeping a positive attitude as he fights to recover from his accident.
"Absolutely, I'm going to beat this," Barry said.