Teen survives being shot in the heart with 3-inch nail

A 17-year-old in Missouri who accidentally shot himself in the heart with a nail gun survived the injury when the 3-inch nail acted as a plug and kept the teen from bleeding to death, according to doctors.

Matt Robinson said he was building a barn when another worker handed him a nail gun and his finger slipped on the trigger sending the nail into his chest.



"A guy was lowering a gun down on a ladder to me the nail gun. And it swung and I guess my finger hit the trigger and it hit me in the chest," Robinson said.

Doctors said there say the only thing that saved his life was the fact the nail was still lodged in his chest. They say it acted like a plug, leaving no room for blood to seep out.

Three days later, Robinson was out of the hospital and walking around.

With news video.