5/6/2004: Guy takes nails to the head

Thanks to elspode and tux for submitting this.

Oh that's gotta hurt. Six nails embedded in the skull of construction worker Isidro Mejia, 39. Somehow he fell into his buddy who was operating a nail gun. Five of the six nails were removed in surgery right that day and the sixth was removed a little later after the swelling went down.



They actually did a police investigation on this and determined that it was an accident.

Since when are they making full-auto nail guns?

Apparently the guy had the full-auto button duct-taped down.

Originally posted by Nothing But Net
Since when are they making full-auto nail guns?

Almost ALL professional nail guns will work almost full auto - they way they use them is this

The nail gun has a safety (called a shoe) that MUST be against the work to allow the gun to fire. In theory, you take the nail gun, press it against the surface, and pull the trigger

In practice - you HOLD the trigger down, and you press the nail gun up against the work, and it fires 1 nail - you then remove the nail gun from the work (which resets it), and press against the work again - with the recoil of the gun, it almost bounces of the work - it's not that uncommon for a "roughing" carpenter to end up shooting himself in the hand/foot/etc on a rebound! - You actually can hear the guys doing it - 2 nails per stud - "Bap,bap" pause "bap, bap"

That's probably what happened here - the trigger was held down, (either by reflex or taped etc) and the guy bounced along the trigger shoe - each place he came in contact go a nail

ive used nail guns. they have a 2 part trigger.....a conventional trigger like a gun, and a plunger tip, that when compressed, releases the nail....as long as the trigger is pulled in.

some people modify them so that you do not need to hold the trigger, and the tip compression is enough to let it go. the nails come out REALLY fast. We used to shoot them at soda cans, but we'd strap the tip in, and use it like a gun.

In these pics, I think the different angles of entry make it look a little suspicious, but i assume the cops know what's what. i knew a guy that nailed his heel to the deck once. he had the trigger held in, and just brushed the end of the un against the edge of his boot as he stood up. the nail went clear through the boot, into his heel, out the bottom of the boot, and into the plywood decking. the foreman yanked it out with his claw hammer after telling him he'd count to three, and pulled at 2. blech.

I remember an incident where a guy was working on a roof near the edge. He was holding a nail gun by his side, pointed down, with his finger instinctively holding the trigger. He was near a ladder, and someone climbed up the ladder. The climber's head came in contact with the gun's shoe as he came up the ladder, and since the gunner's finger was already on the trigger, the nail gun fired straight down into the climber's skull. I think he died, but don't remember.

Nail guns are extremely dangerous. They are a very useful tool, but it's easy to get complacent with them and do something stupid.

In this case, the guy that got shot was up a level from the guy who had the nail gun. He fell off his platform, onto the one below.. The guy with the gun tried to brace him, and stop him from falling further, and they both ended up falling to the ground.

just absolutely amazing that he not only lived through it, but will apparently make a full recovery.

Originally posted by ndetroit
In this case, the guy that got shot was up a level from the guy who had the nail gun. He fell off his platform, onto the one below.. The guy with the gun tried to brace him, and stop him from falling further, and they both ended up falling to the ground.

just absolutely amazing that he not only lived through it, but will apparently make a full recovery.

One has to wonder if anything that was damaged was vital considering he's making a full recovery...

That guys got alot of fillings... and a few nails int he brain to go along w/ it lol

This reminds me of a story I read.
I havent got a picture but the description made me wince

Drill Horror

I used to put in burgler alarms and fire systems . Once we were working in a plant that made window frames , LOTS of nail and staple guns laying about . My co-workers learned to stay away from me when i had a staple gun at hand because i would blast them from a distance !!! I was careful with the nail guns though . but to hear a 10p nail wizzing close above your head ........

I can't believe they put 6 nails in such different ways and direction in the head of some guyby accident...

Only five more to go after this one

:beer: :thumb:

Originally posted by Troubleshooter


One has to wonder if anything that was damaged was vital considering he's making a full recovery...

Apparently people have been known to recover quite well from small, localized, clean injuries such as that from a nail gun, in fact much more than from a major damage such as a stroke. Even though the brain is obviously damaged, it can learn to work around the damaged area and compensate.

The accident happened on April 19, and on May 5 he made his first public appearance:

'Mejia is walking with minimal assistance and speaks somewhat slowly because his brain's speech center was affected, but his progress has been "remarkable," Quinonez [the doctor] said. With rehabilitation therapy, he should fully recover, he said.'

But seriously, searching for nail gun accidents indicates that there are several per year happening in the US. There is a reason that there are double safety systems on them! These are not fluke "accidents". People walking around with the trigger pulled, or even worse taping it down, should be fired!

Hey I should try taping the trigger of my .50 machine-gun down next time I'll go to Kosovo or so...

"Hey dude, I told you to pay your union dues!"

Originally posted by DanaC
This reminds me of a story I read.
I havent got a picture but the description made me wince

Drill Horror

One time when I was a kid my dad was hanging some book shelves. He had an old electric drill, the kind that was heavy and all aluminum. While looking up with both hands on the book shelf he knocked the drill off the counter and the 1/4 bit went through his shoe and pegged his big toe to the floor, right throuh his toenail. He had to twist the chuck by hand backwards to get it out. Then he fainted.

YIKES!:eek: