Snowbird – A 10-year-old reported being able to see Tuesday afternoon, after incurring an accidental eye injury outside his home.
Tucker Bailey was hunting alongside his father John on Monday, when he killed a 246-pound bear.
The two brought the bear back to the family's residence off Snowbird Road and in the process of "skinning" the animal's hide, the knife apparently got caught in a piece of the skin, slipped and went into Tucker's left eye.
Graham County EMS was dispatched to the home around 4:50 p.m., with the initial report stating that Tucker had sustained a "traumatic" eye injury. The knife was soon removed and Tucker was airlifted to East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville, Tenn., where he underwent surgery to repair the injury.
The family said Tucker escaped any permanent damage, with a cut to his eyelid and eyeball all that was discovered during the procedure. In a follow-up with his surgeon Tuesday, Tucker said he had vision out of the eye.
"Praise God, he can see," the family told The Star. "His vision is blurry, but that's to be expected. We are praying that he can get in to see the retina specialist in Knoxville.
"Thank you to Graham County EMS, Life Flight, and all the staff at East Tennessee; y'all are amazing. Please keep praying for our boy.
"God can. God did."