WILMINGTON — A North Carolina man died on his birthday after authorities say he tumbled head first over an 8-foot-high balcony.

The body of Lee Nam was found Friday morning by a passerby on the sidewalk outside his downtown home. Police say Nam fell off his porch in what a detective called a freak accident.

Friday was Nam's 45th birthday. A native of Liverpool, England, friends said Nam had lived in the United States for at least 15 years. He had worked as the head server at Caprice Bistro for more than a decade.

Restaurant owner Patricia Moity said she and her staff are devastated at the news. Nam is believed to have walked home from work Thursday evening after having a few drinks.