Florida man's cross necklace may have saved his life: 'I thought I was going to die'

Florida man survives shooting, credits necklace and faith

A 20-year-old Ocala man is recovering after surviving a point-blank gunshot wound to the chest—an outcome both he and his doctors attribute to a necklace he was wearing and what he calls divine intervention.

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. - A 20-year-old Florida man's gold necklace with a cross pendant may be the reason he survived a gunshot wound to the chest at point-blank range. 

"He's extremely lucky," said Khafra Garcia Henry, one of the surgeons who treated the young man.

"A very fortunate young individual because if his chain was not there, the outcome would have been completely different," said Henry, a trauma surgeon.

What we know:

Aiden Perry was at his friend's apartment in The Villages on June 7 when he was accidentally shot in the chest by a .40-caliber pistol.

His friend rushed Perry to the emergency room at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, where he was immediately taken to the operating room.

"I looked down I see tons of blood," said Perry. "I thought I was going to die, honestly.

The doctors and medical staff realized that the bullet likely hit the cross of his necklace, splitting it in two. But, sparing his major organs from damage.

"The bullet entered his left upper chest around this area and traveled to his left arm," the doctor told FOX 35. 

"When we normally see these injuries, they're usually devastating injuries. In Aidan’s case, he was fortunate enough where the bullet did not enter his chest wall – it ricocheted off the chain he was wearing."

The bullet entered his chest, exited near his armpit, and then reentered inside his arm, breaking his humerus. 

 Perry's dad – emotional by the entire ordeal – is grateful is son is OK and will survive. He credits their faith as why the damage wasn't worse. 

 For Perry, he said he was religious before, but after this, his faith has grown stronger.

"It’s just kind of a reminder now – to never stop believing… keep believing and God’s definitely real," he said.