Groom fighting for life after 'freak accident' two weeks before wedding

A groom-to-be is fighting for his life after a freak accident during a getaway with his fiancée two weeks before their wedding.

Armani Alicea and his bride-to-be Kelly Drake were holidaying in Tennessee when the pair were involved in a horror white water rafting accident on Tuesday.

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The couple were rafting down the Ocoee River when tragedy struck according to Kelly Kinsler Delmotte, who was allegedly hosting the couple during their trip.

"About halfway through the trip, the raft struck a rock causing a huge jolt," she explained on a fundraising page she set up for the couple.

"Armani's T-handle of his oar hit him in the neck causing an immediate rupture of his carotid artery … resulting in a massive basilar stroke. He was life-lighted to Erlanger Trauma Center where he remains on life support and unresponsive."

In an update on Friday, Delmotte wrote that Ailcea is still in "very critical condition" and remains unresponsive in hospital.

According to the post, he is suffering from brain swelling and ongoing "seizure activity" and has a long road ahead if he is to recover.

Alicea and Drake are Florida natives and have an almost two-year-old daughter, meaning they have little support in Tennessee, where Alicea remains hospitalised.

Both in their 20s and far from home, the pair are now facing mounting medical expenses on top of hotel and living expenses for Drake, who has remained by her husband-to-be's side.

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The couple were set to wed in mid-October, but with Alicea still unresponsive, wedding plans may need to be put on hold.

Friends and family have pitched in for the fundraising efforts, as have strangers from across the US and abroad, already raising more than $44,000 for the young couple.

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Drake's best friend Gabrielle Yontz shared that Alicea's life is in "serious jeopardy" following the "freak accident" but said that he is a "fighter".

"If you know Kelly Drake and Armani, you would know the type of amazing people they are," Yontz wrote in an emotional Facebook post.

"My heart is absolutely broken and I'm completely devastated for what my best friend has to go through … She is the strongest woman, and handling everything with such grace.

"Everyone be safe and hug your loved ones extra tight."