Gym boss recovering from freak garden accident

9:32pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008

A GYM owner is battling back to fitness following a freak gardening accident.

Businessman Mike Watson was pole-axed as he mowed the lawn outside his house near Bishops Lydeard after a twig pierced his eardrum.

Former district councillor Mr Watson, 56, has lost the hearing in the ear and been forced to use a walking stick.

He said: "I'd got to the end of the lawn and a bush brushed the side of my head as I turned.

"A small branch went into my ear and wiped it out completely, destroying the nerve endings, which affects your balance.

"I collapsed and passed out.

"I remember being on the ground and crawling on my stomach into the house to dial 999."

As well as damaging his nerve endings, last month's accident also tore out his ear bones and left the twig embedded.

He has had a graft at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital using material from his own ear to reconstruct the inner ear and build a new eardrum.

"The doctor said it was the worst ear damage he'd seen," said Mr Watson, who owns Hermes Health and Fitness Studio and Setsquare Recruitment.

"He said I'd never hear again, although I'm getting back a bit of noise, so I assume there's some partial recovery.

"I can walk without a stick now, although I'm only working a couple of hours a week.

"I did the lawn on Tuesday, using the mower as a motorised Zimmer frame.

"I hope to be back on the exercise bike in Hermes soon, although I can't run because it's affected my balance."

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