Man drives himself to hospital 'after accidentally firing nail into his heart'

A man drove himself to hospital after accidentally firing a nail into his heart during a building accident, it has been claimed.

Doug Bergeson was reportedly holding a nail gun when he accidentally fired it into his chest while building a frame for a fireplace.

The Wisconsin man said the accident did not hurt but joked it made him realise his day was going to be unproductive.

"It didn’t really hurt. It just felt like it kind of stung me," he told ABC affiliate WBAY-TV.

"When I saw [the nail] moving with my heart, it’s kind of like, 'I’m not going to get anything done today."

Mr Bergeson said he decided to drive himself to the hospital as he felt "fine" after the accident, which happened at the end of June 2017.

"It seemed like the thing to do," he said. "I felt fine, other than having a little too much iron in my diet."

Mr Bergeson was treated at Aurora BayCare Medical Center where doctors told him he had a lucky escape.

He has reportedly not suffered any long-term damage to his heart.