Eugene Rakow was rebuilding a deck in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, when he accidentally shot himself in the chest with a 16g nail. The nail penetrated his sternum and pierced his heart within millimeters of the coronary artery. According to the doctors, had the artery been severed Rakow almost certainly would have died.
Rakow made a number of mistakes, including using the gun the way he did and calling his wife instead of 911. Good for him and his family that he survived. Learn from his mistakes by watching the video below and reading this CPWR hazard alert on the use of nail guns.