WXYZ-TV chief meteorologist Dave Rexroth lost his left eye in a fireworks accident July 4 in Iowa, the station reports.
Rexroth, 48, was vacationing with his family in Iowa City.
He is currently hospitalized in Iowa City and is scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday. That will begin the process of Dave receiving a prosthetic eye. He expects to fully recover by September.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Dave and his family and they have our full support during this difficult time. As Dave recovers, we’ll provide updates on his progress – and we look forward to his return to Action News,” said Ed Fernandez, vice president and general manager of WXYZ.
Dave Rexroth, a 48-year-old Farmington father of three boys, will have surgery Wednesday.
The station draws a social media outpouring by inviting "well-wishes and prayers" on Facebook. About 2,800 viewers commented on its page Monday morning and early afternoon, while 1,800 do so on Rexroth's page. "We'll keep Dave in our prayers," posts William Mullan, spokesman for Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyvn Orr. "Detroit can't have any weather until you return!" comments TV reviewer Jim McFarlin.
Named the station's chief meteorologist in August 2010, Rexroth does newscasts at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Rexroth has been forecasting nearly 20 years, the last 10 at WXYZ. He joined the station as meteorologist for Channel 7's "Action News this Morning" and "Action News at Noon" in 2000.
Rexroth also worked in Miami, Albany, N.Y. and Des Moines.
A graduate of Luther College in Iowa, Rexroth received a master's degree in meteorology from the University of Chicago, where he studied under Ted Fujita, namesake of famous F-Scale for tornado strength.
Rexroth lives in Farmington with his wife, Deborah, and their three sons. "One of his greatest thrills in life is coaching his boys’ baseball and basketball teams," his station bio says.
