A diving accident on Pamlico Beach left a man fighting for his life this weekend.

Billy Stocks, 43, dove off the pier near his family’s cottage and hit a swell in the water, breaking his neck on impact, according to family friend Jay Martin.

There were no injuries to indicate that Stocks struck an object in the water, which led the family to believe it was a swell.

Stocks was airlifted to Vidant Medical Center on Saturday night and admitted to the Neuro ICU. Although still breathing, he had little to no brain function minutes after the accident, Martin said.

He said Stocks was not doing anything out of the ordinary, although pier diving is dangerous.

“Apparently, he’d done this 100 times,” Martin said. “There’s no blame to be cast here.”

He said the family, including Stocks’ wife Paige and children Will and Emaline, had gathered at Pamlico Beach to celebrate Will’s fifth birthday.

As of Tuesday night, the family elected to take him off of life support, and was expected to do so within the next 24 hours, according to Martin. The family also met with an organ donation team.

“Technically, he still has a heart beat as we’re speaking,” Martin said in an interview on Tuesday.

Martin is the pastor at Church of the Good Shepherd and knows Stocks’ sister, Billie, and brother-in-law, Bo. He said funeral arrangements would likely be made soon.

Stocks was the owner of the Washington-based Pamlico Tower Inc. He was born in Washington, graduating from Washington High School, but his family most recently lives in Grimesland.

Martin described Stocks as a “wonderful family man,” and said this type of tragedy is a reminder to hold loved ones close and cling to faith.