Justin Greene, 14, drowned in a kayak accident near Kitty Hawk on June 13th and now neighbors are Taking Action to help his family after the loss.
"My world came down and it still is down," said his father, Justin Greene Sr., when NewsChannel 3 talked to him after his son's body was recovered.
The small Point Harbor neighborhood has been Taking Action for the teen's family since his kayak was found June 13th.
"Anybody that had a boat or had someone that had a boat got the boat underway and were looking for Justin," said Mike Murray.
When his body was recovered days later, Murray took action to help the Greene's pay for their son's funeral cost.
"I put $100 in an envelope and started it, started knocking on doors," Murray said.
That $100 then multiplied to well over $1,000 but Murray knew that wouldn't be enough.
Justin Sr. suffers from kidney failure. He goes to dialysis six times a week, which has added another burden on the family.
"Folks of very modest means so when you have overwhelming medical bills and those kinds of things you don't have the resources, no one has the resources," Murray said.
On Sunday, however, it was not financial, but emotional support needed as the family buried Justin.
The Greene's have only lived in Point Harbor for three months, but neighbors showed up as if they had known them for years.
"It sought to convey to them that they while burdened with the loss, that they weren't shouldering it by themselves," Murray said. "That this community was helping to shoulder that with them."
Murray has set up a memorial fund so help can continue to trickle in to the Greene's.
The fund was established at OBX Bank, and you can donate at any location under the Justin Greene-Fischer Jr Memorial Fund.
