A Brazilian construction worker is lucky to be alive after a tumbling iron rod penetrated his helmet, QMI Agency reports.  Eduardo Leite, 24, was on the ground floor of a construction site south of Rio de Janeiro when the shaft came crashing down from the fifth floor, going straight through his helmet, his brain, and emerging from in between his eyes.  Amazingly, he remained conscious the entire time—a mere centimetre to the left or to the right, and he’d be paralyzed, eyeless, or even dead.

Firefighters rushed to the scene to cut down the two-metre-long piece of metal before taking him to Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital, where he underwent five hours of surgery to remove the remaining apparatus.  Leite is reportedly to remain in hospital for a couple weeks while being fed antibiotics intravenously to prevent infection.  No truth to the rumour that he purchased a lucky four-leaf clover on EBay a couple days beforehand, but a true metal birdie of steel told me that Manowar is penning a new power-metal anthem in his honour.  Apparently “Iron Man,” “Iron Warrior” and “Iron Head” have already been taken, however…