Javelin pierces eye of Oregon teen at track meet

The javelin entered Kennedy’s right eye socket.

In a small stroke of luck for the young athlete, the angle of entry led the spear’s tip to drive toward the roof of his mouth, rather than his brain, which could have proven fatal.

Officials with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue say people at the scene were able to remove the javelin from the victim’s eye and stabilize him before paramedics arrived.

The head track coach of Hood River Valley High School, Donnie Herneisen, didn’t witness the event, but told BuzzFeed News he had been informed it was a “freak accident”. Kennedy had thrown the javelin and was going to retrieve it when he caught the cleat of his spikes in the grass and tripped, falling face-first onto the back end of the javelin that was sticking out of the ground. The teen’s mother says the damage is not critical, but will need reconstructive surgery. He is able to see and identify colors.

Fortunately, Parker is in stable condition and can see out of the pierced eye, though his vision remains blurry, Oregon Live reported.

His parents, Barry and Carrie, declined interview requests but issued a statement Sunday saying Parker was talking and moving.

The javelin pieced his eye, forcing Kennedy to be taken to hospital at Oregon Health Sciences University. He’s staying at the hospital so his team of doctors and nurses can monitor his progress. In fact, the entire sport of javelin toss is the subject of debates raging in the United States. He is a recent graduate of Hood River Valley High School.

Though some claim javelin injuries don’t happen very often, between 1982 and 2011, there have been 25 track-related deaths associated javelin, shotput, and discus.