Man avoids bullet in chest due to necklace
11:30 AEST Sat Jul 7 2012
A Florida man says he is lucky to be alive after a bullet that was headed straight for his chest bounced off a silver medallion hanging from his neck.
The bullet went through the bill of his baseball hat, hit his nose, went through his nostril, hit his lip and travelled through his chin.
"It came straight down like someone had shot it up in the air," Mr Smeraldo said.
"There are three new holes in my face I didn't have before."
Mr Smeraldo said the bullet was on its way to his chest, but hit the silver medallion instead, causing the chain to split.
His daughter gave him the chain, which Mr Smeraldo had engraved with a Bible verse a fortnight ago.
Mr Smeraldo was rushed to Mease Countryside Hospital, where they stitched up his nose and chin to repair the 9mm bullet's damage, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Local police have sent the bullet off for forensic testing.
