A Lincoln County cattleman and his nephew are recovering todayafter both were gored by a bull in an accident at the LincolnCounty Sale Barn Tuesday afternoon.

Fred Smith Jr., 74, was gored twice in the upper right legTuesday around 4 p.m., said Cindy Hyde-Smith, his daughter-in-law.He was taken to King’s Daughters Medical Center and later airliftedto the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

“He’s doing very well this morning for the shape he’s in,”Hyde-Smith said today.

Hyde-Smith said her father-in-law was struck while preparing tosend a crossbred bull into a chute to enter the sale barn arena.She said the bull apparently turned on him and gored him twice.

“One (horn) about went completely through his leg,” shesaid.

Brad Mathis, Fred Smith’s nephew, came to help and was alsogored in the lower left leg. Hyde-Smith said Mathis was tossed intoan adjacent pen.

While the bull’s attention was on Mathis, Fred Smith managed toslide under a fence and into another pen to escape further injury,Hyde-Smith said.

Mathis was treated and released from KDMC. Hyde-Smith said hewas resting at home.

“He’s just extremely sore,” she said.

Hyde-Smith said family members were thankful there were nobroken bones in the incident.

“Luckily, there was no upper body damage. No vital organs werehit,” she said. “They just got hit in the legs.”

Referring to the nature of the injuries, she said the wound willhave to heal from the inside out and a focus will be on keepinginfections out.

Hyde-Smith said her father-in-law rested well during the night.She said the family was thankful for prayers and other expressionsof concern.

“We are very fortunate,” Hyde-Smith said. “We all realize thiscould have been a lot worse.”