DIY risks bring warnings from eye surgeons Dean Crooks almost lost his left eye while servicing his lawn mower, when a hose-clamp sprung from the grip of his pliers and embedded in his eye. A FREAK lawn mower accident almost cost a Victorian man his sight after a clip sprung up and pierced his eye. It comes as the state's leading opthamologists warn that eye injuries are more likely to occur in the home during gardening or DIY than in the workplace. Dean Crooks, 47, was fixing his mower when the accident occurred. He had momentarily removed his safety googles, which had been annoying him by slipping down his nose. About 30 seconds later the 2cm spring-loaded hose clip flew into his left eye. Mr Crooks ran into the bathroom, with the clip still lodged in his eye, but couldn't see out of it. "It had three prongs, one of which had pierced my eye so I pulled it out and called triple 0," he said. He said it was like he had one hand over that eye. I couldn't see anything out of that eye, it was all just black and red. The prong had lacerated his cornea, which required emergency surgery at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Consultant ophthalmologist Dr Elsie Chan said Mr Crooks was one of the more severe injuries they treat because the metal had penetrated his cornea. "He had a cut right through his cornea so some of the fluid inside of his eye had escaped," Dr Chan said. There was a real risk he would go blind. Stitches, invisible to the naked eye, were used to repair the laceration. After the operation, he was monitored to ensure the dirty prong did not result in an infection that could also cause blindness. Dr Chan urged Victorians to wear close fitting safety goggles when doing gardening or DIY. Mr Crooks now has a trauma cataract, which can make his vision in the eye cloudy, but his sight is otherwise unaffected. At least I can see, I don't know how I would have coped at my age if I lost my sight and couldn't drive. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.