5-year-old boy injured in Tennessee hiking accident

A 5-year-old boy is recovering in Tennessee after a serious hiking accident in a national park. Xavier Godoy fell while hiking with his family on the Abrams Falls Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park earlier this month. His mother, Nicole Godoy, explained that Xavier was playing with a stick when the incident occurred. As he tried to catch a railing on a bridge, he lost his grip and fell about five feet into the river, hitting his head on a rock. “His lips were blue and purple,” Nicole recalled, adding that Xavier became unresponsive before receiving help from other hikers. Xavier was airlifted to a medical facility where doctors diagnosed him with a brain bleed and a broken neck. He also had a cut on his head. Despite the severity of his injuries, he was recently seen playing with toys while wearing a neck brace. Nicole has expressed concerns about the safety of the trail. She believes the bridge is too narrow and the railing inadequate to prevent falls. She is urging the park to improve safety measures to prevent similar accidents in the future. The National Park Service has not yet provided a response regarding the recommendations for safety changes.