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LEWISTON MORNING TRIBUNE (Wenatchee, Washington) 04 July 08 Man who shot at snake may lose sight (Kerri Sandaine)
Asotin: Frank Jeffreys is wearing protective guards over his injured eyes to help keep them closed.
The 24-year-old Asotin man's face was peppered with snake-shot pellets last week during a fishing outing on Joseph Creek, near the Oregon border. Jeffreys was hit after he fired a shot at a rattlesnake and dropped the gun.
"I can't see anything out of my right eye," he said last week at his home in Asotin. "I can see shadows and silhouettes out of my left eye, but I am supposed to keep them closed so I don't put any stress on them."
Jeffreys was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle a week ago Thursday after he was taken to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center. He was released Monday night, but there will be future surgeries to help repair the damage, he said.
"They are going to see what they can do to reconstruct my eye, but they couldn't guarantee anything."
Surrounded by several family members, Jeffreys described the painful ordeal, saying it was a life-changing event.
"I was up at my friend's house and I had just walked over the bank toward the creek to go fishing when I heard something. I turned around and a rattlesnake was at eye level on the bank. I shot once and the snake lunged. A rock rolled out and I dropped my gun. When it hit the ground, it went off."
He said being hit in the eyes and face with a round of snake shot was excruciating.
"It was horrible," said Amanda Taylor, who was with Jeffreys when it happened. "I thought he got bit by the snake at first. When he moved his hands from his face, blood was everywhere. It was very scary."
After calling 911, they started driving toward town and met the ambulance en route.
Jeffreys said it was the second rattler he'd encountered on the fishing trip. He was carrying a .22 caliber pistol to ward them off.
"The snakes are obviously pretty thick this year," he said.
"I usually take a gun with me. I grew up here, and when I'm in snake country, I carry one."
The snake-shot pellets still lodged in his head are expected to eventually work to the surface, he said. "I still have pellets scattered throughout my face."
He said he's focusing on the future and his recovery instead of worrying about what he could have done or should have done differently last week.
Jeffreys said he's been off work for a while dealing with other health issues. "I work on cars. I'm a self-proclaimed mechanic."
He lives with Taylor and their 3-month-old baby, Lainey. His mother and sister drove here from Fort Worth, Texas, following the accident, and a brother is coming home from Iraq after being granted emergency family leave.
He has Medicaid, but the family is struggling with expenses, said Amanda's mother, Tonia Taylor of Sweetwater.
"This is a real tough situation," she said.
A bank account has been set up at Clearwater Credit Union in Tonia Taylor's name.
Man who shot at snake may lose sight

When handling a gun you always have to maintain control. I've slipped on a muddy bank and tumbled down into a creek, rolling and bouncing all the way and when I finally landed in the water, my gun was held up high, completely free of mud and water. Dropping the because you lose your balance is dangerous. It's like letting go of your steering wheel because a car crossed into your lane.

Accidents will happen, but people need to ALWAYS exercise caution while handling anything dangerous. Guns, knives, venomous snakes, dogs trained to attack, cars, caustic cleaning agents, anything.

hopefully his eyesight will get better and then maybe he'll pay more attention to his surroundings while carrying a gun.
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