Man only knew he was shot in head when doctors found bullet days later | World News

A university student partied on for four days after being shot in the head on New Year’s Eve thinking he had only been hit by someone throwing a stone.

Mateus Facio, 21, is recovering at home after undergoing an emergency operation to remove a bullet fragment from his brain when he finally sought help for unexplained arm spasms.

Mum Luciana said he has been ‘born again’ as she told how he went swimming in the sea, partied with friends and returned to the beach the next day oblivious to the fact he nearly died.

He only went to the hospital days later after the 200-mile drive back from Rio de Janeiro to his native city of Juiz de Fora took nearly twice as long due to the spasms in his right arm.

Neurosurgeon Flavio Falcometa said: ‘Part of the bullet penetrated his brain which caused compression in that area and led to his arm’s involuntary movements.

‘If it had ended up a few millimetres from where it did, it could have caused much more serious damage and left his arm or one side of his body paralysed.

‘It was very risky for the patient but we believe that in 20 to 30 days he will be able to continue with his normal life.’

Police were last night analysing the bullet removed from his head as they begun an investigation into who fired the shot that could have had devastating consequences for Mateus.

He told the remarkable story of his survival and ongoing recovery to Brazilian TV show Jornal Nacional.

Mateus was with friends on a beach in Cabo Frio east of Rio and preparing to see in the New Year when he was hit in the head.

He recalled: ‘I thought it was a stone, something like that. It was like the sound of an explosion, when a bomb goes off, but inside my head.

‘The bleeding stopped, we left, I took a shower and went out partying.’

After waking up on New Year’s Day Mateus and his friends went back to a local beach and on January 2 he did the long journey back to his home in the neighbouring state of Minas Gerais.

He went to hospital on January 4, nearly five days after being shot, after his right arm became ‘droopy’ and the muscle spasms started.

Police took a statement from him after it emerged the problems were being caused by a bullet in his brain.

Detectives in Cabo Frio are now trying to establish who fired the gun that could have killed Mateus, who is planning on becoming a doctor.

His relieved mum said: ‘It’s inexplicable how someone can have a bullet lodged in their head for four days and survive. I feel like my son has been born again.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE : Cute critter famed for killer sex fests has an even darker secret

MORE : Council said it wouldn’t collect man’s bin because its contents were frozen

MORE : Woman has hamster stuffed to look like a pole dancer with notes in its G-string

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.