I will be honest, I never really considered golf to be a dangerous sport. However, after hearing this story I will never underestimate the dangers again. One golfer was just out on the green, enjoying a day of golf. Then, suddenly a ball veered off course and soared through the air straight at him. It struck him square in the face and left the golfer blinded in one eye. Learn the story of how a golf ball smashes the poor man in the face.
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Golf Ball Smashes Man In The Face
Leigh Powell was just trying to play some golf. The Daily Mail shares that Mr. Powell was "At a charity day at his local golf club on June 14 last year." While he was on the tenth hole, the unexpected happened. Another player hit a shot from about 20 yards away, however it did not go where it was intended. Instead, it went off at a right angle and straight into Mr. Powell's eye.
When speaking to the outlet, Powell said he instantly knew that his eye was shattered. Additionally, he claimed that he had never experienced pain quite like that. He stated, "When the shock and adrenaline wore off it was excruciating, I've never known pain like that." Then he continued, "I was just screaming and screaming, even the morphine didn't really touch it."
With the pressure in his eye building and blood all around him, Powell knew he needed to get to the hospital. However, it would have taken an ambulance five hours to reach him at his current location. Instead, he called his parents and had them drive him over to Gloucester Royal Hospital. It was there that he learned the devastating news.
Golfer Is Blinded In One Eye After Rare Accident
The Daily Mail shares that "The pressure in his eye was recorded as being more than 100mmHg - when normal levels are around 21mmHg." Along with insane pressure, the golf ball had completely shattered Powell's eye, from lens to the retina. The doctors delivered the heartbreaking news, Powell would never be able to see from his right eye again.
After delivering that blow, they sent him to a hospital in Cheltenham, where he has been treated since. The journey has been long and hard for the golfer. Initially after the incident he had to put eye drops in his eye 50 times a day to help bring the swelling down. Additionally, he could only sleep sitting up for months while the fluid drained from his eye.
Now, he can only see daylight from his right eye. As a result of the uneven vision, his left eye is overcompensating and the strain is wearing on it. He has had an operation in the past for a prosthetic lens but he still needs another operation to reduce the size of his pupil.
Additionally, Powell is having special contact lenses made for him. He is hopeful that they will return at least partial vision to his damaged eye. However, at the moment the golfer is blinded in one eye and can no longer work. It truly is a rare incident. "I've researched it," Powell claimed, "and there aren't documented examples of this."
