HOLTON, Kan. (AP) — A 56-year-old Holton man who is recovering from a hunting accident says a 12-year-old boy’s quick thinking saved his life.

Jerry Valdez is recovering at the intensive care unit of Salina Regional Health Center after being accidentally shot in the back Nov. 2 while hunting near Clay Center.

A statement released Tuesday by Valdez’s wife, Rogene Valdez, says he is making steady progress. She says when her husband was able to talk after being removed from a ventilator on Nov. 7, he said he didn’t know what to do after the accident and the boy saved his life. Details of the boy’s actions and his relationship to Valdez were not released.

The Salina Journal reports Valdez is expected to make a full recovery.