This is the X-Ray of a Man Who Shot Himself in the Neck With a Nail Gun
- Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:17pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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An x-ray image of the 3 1/2 inch nail that entered Patrick Matheson’s chest. (Image source: Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror)
A Massachusetts carpenter is lucky to be alive after he accidentally shot himself in the neck with a nail gun working at a construction site.
The 3 1/2 nail entered the top of Patrick Matheson’s chest at a speed of 1,400 feet per second on Dec. 1, the Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror reported. It pierced his trachea and esophagus, then embedded in his vertebral column.
“I couldn’t shout, but I knew I wasn’t dead,” Matheson told the newspaper. “I got down off the ladder, trying to move slow and not move my neck too much.”
Still conscious, he waited for an ambulance to arrive. Doctors later determined that had the nail entered his chest a millimeter to the right, Matheson likely would have bled to death at the site. If the nail had been an inch longer, it would have pierced his spinal cord, leaving him a paraplegic, the newspaper reported.
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Comments (41)
Conkuur
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:54amI have been shot twice with nail gun ricochets it’s not as difficult as you think to catch one. The majority of the time its the nail hitting on top of another nail. I was shot in the throat went up under my jaw through my tongue. You cant really pull them out because these particular kind are held together by thin wire with a light solder.So the little wires bend down as it comes out of the gun.So its kinda like a fish hook you can really pull it out you have to pull it through. Pretty painful. If you work all day long with a nail gun you will eventually catch a nail or at least a close call. I’m certain the idiots who made the wisecracks probably never even handled a power tool. It‘s a law of averages I don’t laugh about your paper cuts.
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 11:34amThe majority of the time its the nail hitting on top of another nail (the first one didn’t leave a visable hole?)
Report Post »Being complacent, not paying attention, horseplay, diabling guards or safeties these are reasons for injuries using power tools, and sometimes tool failure.
The law of averages only works if one of the others is present. You can only get away with bad moves for so long!
Conkuur
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 1:09pmYou do have a point for sure but in reality it is all about speed and getting the job done to compete. Plus add in the fact there are bonuses given to most completed, (and it is substantial). Could we slow down and maybe have less accidents well yeah but we would also be out of work. Me and my crew avg about 3 accidents a year, maybe 1 in 5 years has ended up in a long hospital stay ( new guy used a skillsaw to saw a board on his knee thats a good example of stupid) The one I took in the throat I was out of urgent care in 2 hours and back to work the next day. Truth is we do the same nailing over and over day after day so we really don‘t even look at where we are nailing it’s instinctive. All nails are done on a slight slant because a 1/8 th of an inch can penetrate the package and the next nail size down wont keep the package firmly attached. So with the slant and sometimes a miss fire we go over the package twice and yes very rarely you can hit a nail and get a ricochet.It does happen sometimes but very infrequently and rarely does it ever hit anyone.
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 1:49pmA truthful answer, very refreshing!
Report Post »Merry Christmas And may I add a safe New Year!
1956
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:04amOne of God’s miracles. I hope he’s a believer – he is blessed to be alive. At 1,400 ft/sec, that should have gone a lot futher into his body, one would think!
Report Post »Free2speakRN
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 6:59amWOW!!!
I am glad he’s okay!
Seeing the x-ray, it struck me when he said he couldn’t shout, that the nail traveled faster than the speed of sound. Not too ironic, but it made me think how fast those nails travel.
It’s almost a wonder that we actually live ’til we die.
Report Post »campt1
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 12:45amand they vote!
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:27pmhorrifying. how in the heck did he trigger it tho. our Sencos take quite a lot of pressure to Fire. all we can think it must have ricocheted. or did it fall? what is even worse is that those nail strips are coated with adhesives and paper that causes very nasty infections.
God bless the WORKER who has been injured.
Report Post »godhatesacoward
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 10:58pmI was shot in the head w/ a nail gun, 12′s, 30 ft up on walk boards. I thought I had a nail in my brain! I crawled my way down to earth to see that it was just a ricochet! Thank God I have a hard head because I have never been hit that hard!
Report Post »Southernsoul
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 10:01pmI wonder if the building trade having such a high occurance of drug use might have something to do with this kind of stuff?
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 9:59pmGoogle “accidentally shot with a nail gun”. We need more federal regulations and a safer nail gun. LOL
It’s a bloody jobs dealie. Come up with a safety feature for all nail guns and become the next millionaire.
Report Post »Favored93
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 9:54pmI was on a site working with a bunch of Mexicans … (prob legal but not sure and for this story does not matter much…) and one of the guys was cutting a 2×4 and the saw went through his thigh. was a NASTY cut looked to be about a 6″ or longer gash. he could not speak English and so my self and two other guys had to restrain him so that I could tie my belt around his leg. Was a nasty cut…I know it was not a nail in the throat but stuff like this happens. Glad the guy and his team had their wits about them.
Report Post »rb5family
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 9:37pmAbout four or five months ago OSHA and NIOSH published a new pamphlet on nail gun safety… guess this guy didn’t get the memo…
Report Post »Charles
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 8:22pmLucky dude
Report Post »Hzurdaddy
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 7:57pmI’d like to make a snarky comment, but I think instead I’ll just say OUCH!!
Report Post »kim
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 9:05amlol me too thats seems like it hurt and how did he do that to himself
Report Post »The Bushmaster
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 7:32pmprobably a union carpenter…..
Report Post »Bicyea
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 7:04pmI was working at an office furniture manufacturing plant about 15/yrs ago and a guy I worked with shot himself in the chest with a nail gun. The nail stopped about 1/16″ before it hit his lung. It happens more often than you think.
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 8:04am45 years in construction, ran 100′s of jobs. worked with 1000′s of people. I’ve seen them over powered and go through something, but have never seen someone shoot them self. Then again maybe it was the person in charge stressing safety and leading. (something our “leader” Hussain should learn)
Report Post »The early ones were all Hilti which were actually a gun and you were to be licensed to use them, but now any butt head can, obviously, pick one up and use it.
Meyvn
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 7:00pmSo what. We have dumb-asses everywhere.
Report Post »ZengaPA65
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 5:44pmLooks like Schwarzenegger from the profile.
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 7:35pmCan’t be this guy has a spine.
Report Post »ddg7
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 9:23pm@Bikerr….You nailed it!
Report Post »Darla_K
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 5:19pmSomeone was looking out for the well being of this man. Nail on, but be more careful. :)
Report Post »Coyote6
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 5:09pmActually both are correct. A computerized tomography scan or CT is a series of X-rays taken in series from different angles in order to get a three dimensional image.
Report Post »Krazy_Kreepy_Ketchup
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:48pmThe fact that it did not hit a major vessel in that part of the neck is nothing short of a miracle.
Report Post »NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:32pmFYI: That’s not an “xray”. That’s a CT scan.
Report Post »RugDog
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:31pmBut will it blend?
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:25pmIt does not say it ricocheted. It says he shot him self with it.
Report Post »How many stupid things would you have to do to accidently shoot your self with a nail gun?
I’d hate to be the employer that had to write that up!
Patriot of My America
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 7:54pmWOW, I have used nail guns and always treated them like a LOADED weapon… And they do have a safety on them.. URR DUU,, One Lucky Dude.. LMAO… Not really…
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:55pmDO NOT AIM NAILGUN IN DIRECTION OF USER OR OTHER HUMAN
pretty simple concept really glad the guy made it, maybe next time common sense will kick in
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:00pmExcuse me, but I think I have something stuck in my throat.
Report Post »dread_pirate_roberts
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:07pmARRRRHHHHG! crap happens, usually when least expected.
Report Post »flatbroke
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:35pmOh!my ! for sure yupimaconservative!
Report Post »YepImaConservative
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:34pmLucky Carpenter! Another Carpenter we know and love might have been looking out for this one.
Report Post »I_CARRY_1_TOO
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:44pmI totally agree, I don’t believe luck had anything to do with it…..
It really bothers me when people don’t recognize what actually saves them from tragedy – which is God’s grace and decision – but say that they were lucky. Our Father God saved this man’s life and it is for a reason. Everything that happens (good and bad) has reason and purpose. No such thing as luck….
Report Post »drago
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:46pmWell put Yep!
Report Post »rpp
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:02pmWell said, Yep! I hope andpray that this man recognizes God’s grace in his life.
Report Post »Krazy_Kreepy_Ketchup
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 4:49pmCouldnt agree more
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