A GOLFER has had to survive on universal credit for nine months after he was left blind in one eye by another player's duff shot, reports KATE POUNDS of SWNS.

Lydbrook builder Leigh Powell, 44, was enjoying a day on the green at his local club last June when the wayward ball smacked him in the face, knocking out for over five minutes, with other players fearing he was dead.

He sat with ice packs on his eye while an ambulance was called, but was then taken Gloucester Royal Hospital by his parents when told it would take five hours to arrive.

Leigh Powell at the golfing range. A golfer was seriously injured and left half blind when a ball smashed into his eye. Leigh Powell, 44, was enjoying a day on the green at his local golf club when a duff shot from another player smacked him in the face. Leigh, a keen golfer of over 20 years, was knocked out for over five minutes - and other players thought he was dead. He sat with ice packs on his eye and an ambulance was called but would have taken five hours to get to him, he said. Eventually he phoned his parents who drove him to Gloucester Royal Hospital where Leigh was told he'd never see from his right eye again and sent him on to hospital in Cheltenham where he has been treated since. Leigh's eye was shattered from the lens to the retina, and so swollen that medics had to wait until November before they could see what was going on inside and operate.
Leigh Powell has played golf for 20 years (Leigh Powell / SWNS)

Leigh was then told he'd never see from his right eye again before being sent on to hospital in Cheltenham.

His eye was shattered from the lens to the retina, and was so swollen that medics had to wait until November before they could see what was going on inside and operate.

He had to put eye-drops in 50 times a day to help get the swelling down after the incident.

"It was horrible, it hit me plumb in the eye. When I came round I was in shock, there was blood everywhere," he recalled.

Leigh Powell before the golfing incident which left him blind in one eye. A golfer was seriously injured and left half blind when a ball smashed into his eye. Leigh Powell, 44, was enjoying a day on the green at his local golf club when a duff shot from another player smacked him in the face. Leigh, a keen golfer of over 20 years, was knocked out for over five minutes - and other players thought he was dead. He sat with ice packs on his eye and an ambulance was called but would have taken five hours to get to him, he said. Eventually he phoned his parents who drove him to Gloucester Royal Hospital where Leigh was told he'd never see from his right eye again and sent him on to hospital in Cheltenham where he has been treated since. Leigh's eye was shattered from the lens to the retina, and so swollen that medics had to wait until November before they could see what was going on inside and operate.
Leigh Powell before the golfing incident which left him blind (Leigh Powell / SWNS)

"I could feel a huge pressure in my eye, I knew it was shattered. When the shock and adrenaline wore off it was excruciating, I've never known pain like that, I was just screaming and screaming, even the morphine didn't really touch it.

"It's a very rare accident, I've researched it and there aren't documented examples of this."

Leigh was enjoying a charity day at his club on the tenth hole when another player hit a shot which went off at a right angle straight into Leigh's right eye, from about 20 yards.

At hospital medics recorded pressure in Leigh's eye over 100, compared to normal pressure of around 21.

Leigh had to sleep sitting up for months to help the fluid drain from his eye, and woke every hour to put drops in.

He was given a prosthetic lens in an operation on November 13, and has been having a special contact lens made that it is hoped will give him some vision back.

Leigh can now only see daylight in his right eye, and still needs a second op to reduce the size of his pupil which has been left fully dilated.

His left eye gets tired from compensating for the loss of the vision in his right eye, and he struggles to perceive depth, he said.

The builder said he's lost £32,000 in earnings and will have to look for a different job.

He said: "It's really hard. I'm having to sell my home because of this.

"I get £360 a month in universal credit which just doesn't cover my expenses.

"I feel let down: I've always paid my taxes and I feel the system should support you at times like this, just until you can get things sorted out.

"It's really tough not working, having nothing to do, it really destroys your mental health."