Italian hunter survives two days with crossbow bolt in skull. Doctors call it a miracle. Full survival story, November 2025.
Read Time: 4 min
TRENTO, Italy — Marco Rossi, 52, went hunting on November 6. He came back with a crossbow bolt in his brain.
The bolt entered just above his left eye, missed every major artery, and lodged in the frontal lobe. He walked 3 km to his car, drove home, and slept it off.
“I thought it was a branch. Woke up with a headache.” Marco Rossi, interview from hospital bed
The Miracle Math
- Bolt length: 42 cm
- Survival odds: < 0.01% (per The Lancet)
- Time unconscious: 36 hours
- Surgery duration: 4 hours
Doctors removed the bolt without paralysis. Rossi is expected to walk out in 10 days.
Expert Quote
“This defies anatomy. It’s like threading a needle in a hurricane.” — Dr. Elena Bianchi, Neurosurgeon