A man in Savannah, Georgia managed to impale his thigh with a 3-inch penny nail while working on a pirate ship he was building for kids.

Derek Hinkley was with is friend Chris working on a ship before Hinkley misfired the nail gun and impaled his left thigh on September 27.

Hinkley told Newsflare: "As I kneeled and grabbed it to make a routine move, it [nail gun] brushed my leg and fired. I immediately couldn’t believe what just happened. I think my first words were 'No! No! No!'

"Chris saw what happened and started a mild panic right along with me. Many times in construction things happen you can usually band-aid a problem or simply yank out a sliver of whatever. I quickly realized this would not be a quick extraction in the field.

"I asked him for a pair of pliers to just see if there was any budging the embedded 3-inch nail. There clearly wasn’t. The nails we were using in that gun are ring shanked meaning they have ribs near the end so that they are less likely to pull out of wood.

"Once at the hospital they checked me in quickly and began hooking me up to fluids and started anaesthesia.

"The next few minutes we’re some pretty terrifying ones, probably the most terrifying of my life. The medication, ketamine, took me on a spectacular trip and not a good one.

"Either way I did not feel the pain of the nail being yanked out so at the end of the day I guess it was a good decision.

"When they released me it was about 5 by that time and we only had a little more work to go to be totally finished. We headed back to the job site and I did as much as I could to help Chris finish the pirate ship."

I own a business where I travel the country building pirate ships in backyards for kids. This past week I was in Savannah GA building 2 Ships in two locations with my best bud Chris. We’ve known each other for 30 years and he’s always got my back. As we were on day two building the second structure we had his older nail gun plugged up using it intermittently. As I kneeled and grabbed it to make a routine move it brushed my leg and fired. I immediately couldn’t believe what just happened. I think my first words were “No! No! No!” Chris saw what happened and started a mild panic right along with me. Many times in construction things happen you can usually band aid a problem or simply yank out a sliver of whatever. I quickly realized this would not be a quick extraction in the field. After he called for an ambulance I sat there pretty helpless and that’s not a position I’m usually in. I asked him for a pair of pliers to just see if there was any budging the imbedded 3” nail. There clearly wasn’t. The nails we were using in that gun are ringshanked...meaning they have ribs near the end so that they are less likely to pull out of wood. they arrived and I got loaded up for my first ride in an ambulance to the ER. I could not straighten my leg this entire time and by now the adrenaline was wearing off and I was started to feel some healthy pain. Once at the hospital they checked me in quickly and began hooking me up to fluids and started anesthesia. They took an X-ray if my leg bent and then the bad news. They said “we have to straighten out your leg for another X-ray”. The pain factor ramped up to 11 for this part. Once I regained my composure (sort of) and the anesthesia started to work they placed a mask over my mouth and said “now this is going to give you crazy dreams so THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS!” The next few minutes we’re some pretty terrifying ones, probably the most terrifying of my life. The medication, Ketamine, took me on a spectacular trip and not a good one. No amount of “happy thoughts” could have drowned out the feeling of despair and hopelessness I experienced. I could spend an hour talking about it. I believe that the effects of this drug were amplified fir a couple reasons. First I had not eaten yet that day and it was 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Second I am a pretty clean eater as I am a keto/paleo natural food guy and perhaps this added to how deeply I felt the drug. Either way I did not feel the pain of the nail being yanked out so at the end of the day I guess it was a good decision?? I might question that if you ask me later! When they released me it was about 5 by that time and we only had a little more work to go to be totally finished. We headed back to the job site and I did as much as I could to help Chris finish the pirate ship