MATTAWA - A Mattawa man who went to the Othello hospital with a bullet wound to the chest on Thursday, Oct. 27, has told authorities he shot himself accidentally.

The man was unidentified as of Friday. Three calls made to the Grant County Sheriff's office seeking a name and information of condition were not returned.

According to Sheriff's Chief Deputy Ryan Rectenwald, his department responded to a call from the hospital after the man arrived. The man told deputies he was injured during target practice at a rural site between Mattawa and Royal City.

The man reported a bullet ricocheted and came back at him, hitting him in the chest near the armpit. After arriving at Othello, he was flown to Kadlec Medical Center in Richland, but not much else has been reported.

According to Rectenwald, the man told Richland Police the same story, and his wife corroborated it. Rectenwald said there was a search for the man's weapon, and it was not found.

Rectenwald has never heard a similar story, but he said it's plausible. Mattawa Police Chief Steve Jensen, whose department was not called on the matter, said the story is believable.

Jensen noted there have been ricochets at police shooting ranges. He said ranges (targets) have been modified to lessen the possibility.

The good news, Jensen said, is that the impact of a ricocheting round is not usually as great as that of a freshly shot round. He said returning bullets are usually blunted.