FRYEBURG — A Boston man has been charged with reckless conduct for allegedly firing water balloons with a sling shot and severely injuring a man at a campground on the Saco River.

Jonathan Buell, 26, was charged following the incident Sunday night at Fiddlehead Campground. Eric Nelson, 26, of Manchester, N.H., suffered severe eye injuries from a water balloon launched from the direction of Buell's campsite, according to police.

Nelson was later flown to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, where doctors said it was unlikely he will ever be able to see out of his injured eye, said Cpl. Richard Murray of the Fryeburg Police Department.

After Nelson was hit by the balloon around midnight, police searched a nearby campsite and confiscated two water balloon slingshots, a homemade water balloon cannon, a portable air compressor and water balloon remnants that matched remnants found at the site of Nelson's injuries.

Buell told police he had been firing balloons over the Saco River at other campsites, but that he was unaware he had injured anyone and said that "there was no way that any of his water balloons could have caused injuries," according to an affidavit.

Buell was initially charged with elevated aggravated assault and held on $50,000 cash bail at the Oxford County Jail.

Buell was released after the charge was reduced and bail lowered to $2,000 cash.