Arkansas student Natalie Eaton impaled in neck when golf club breaks at fraternity: officials

An Arkansas State University freshman was severely injured Tuesday in a freak accident after being impaled in the neck by a golf club that broke apart in an accident at a frateity, university and hospital officials said on Thursday..

According to ASU police, Natalie Jo Eaton, 18, was impaled by the shaft of a broken golf club at the Kappa Alpha frateity house in Jonesboro.

Police say frateity "rush" activities were going on at the house earlier in the afteoon and students were playing games outside before a cookout.

The police report states that someone threw a football to another person, who "was to use a golf club as a bat and hit it". When the club hit the ball, the shaft broke off and flew about 30 feet away, where it impaled Eaton.

A friend of Natalie's said the the student responsible for the accident also helped saved her life.

"He held her there for a good 15 minutes and to keep her in place. His quick reaction probably saved her life. He had to be really strong for that. I couldn't imagine," Makaleigh Riddle said.

Eaton was taken to a Memphis hospital. The doctors attending to Natalie were able to remove the club from her neck, but it nicked an artery and hit her spinal cord.

ASU Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Rick Stripling issued a statement, saying, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Natalie Eaton. Once you are here at Arkansas State, you are part of the Red Wolves family."

Eaton is from Harrisburg and recently competed in the Miss Arkansas Outstanding Teen pageant.