The incredible story of how Luke Coughlan was shot in the face — and survived

An Albury man was shot in the face with a sawn-off, double-barrel shotgun on May 2 and remarkably survived.

Luke Coughlan.

Luke Coughlan has two eyes, a nose, ears, and lips.

Everything anyone else would take for granted — but not him.

Because on May 2, 2021, the 24-year-old Albury man was shot in the face with a sawn-off, double-barrel shotgun.

All he can remember is waking up in a hospital bed six days later.

Since then he has had four surgeries, including one that lasted nine hours to reconstruct his jaw.

He suffers from nerve damage, sleeps upright, and can’t eat solid foods, but it will become his incredible legacy that he survived at all.

Doctors say his facial features should have been blown off with the impact of the bullet that had to be removed from his jaw.

“Everyday I’m shocked because I was so close to dying,” Mr Coughlan told The Albury Wodonga News.

Mr Coughlan, 24, was flown to Melbourne with serious injuries following an incident at a friend’s house in Holmwood Crescent, Albury.

A man, Joseph Dawson, 23, is facing charges in relation to the matter.

Luke Coughlan was flown to Melbourne hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the face.

For legal reasons The Albury Wodonga News cannot report what happened but doctors say he is lucky to be alive.

“All I remember is waking up at Albury Base being pushed on the bed to the helicopter and then being told I had been shot in the face,” Mr Coughlan said.

“They then put me to sleep and then I woke up five or six days later being told I had been put in an induced coma.

“I woke up to my family explaining that I had been shot and that I’ve had a few surgeries.

“The doctors basically said that I’m very lucky to be alive and to not have any facial features blown off.”

Mr Coughlan will live with the permanent scars for the rest of his life. And he is facing a long recovery from the nerve damage to his face.

But the warehousing worker remains optimistic.

“The left side of my face might not function as well as my right, but that won’t be forever.”

It will be three months before Mr Coughlan will recover from his surgeries, something he said had taken its toll.

“I’m not as happy as I usually am,” Mr Coughlan said.

“Before it happened I was the happiest and fittest I’d ever been.

“And now I’ve lost 10kg and can’t eat anything but yoghurt, soup, and porridge for a month or so.

“It’s definitely been a battle mentally and physically but I have so much support from family, friends and physio so it makes it easier.

“But until I am back to living my normal life it’s a constant battle.”

Mr Coughlan won’t take life for granted again.

“I know once it’s all over I’ll be very strong mentally and not much will be able to break me down,” he said.

“I’ll feel really genuinely happy when I’m 100 per cent again, even though I’ll still have scars and nerve damage for a while, the main thing is I survived and not as damaged as I could have been.

“Once I’m recovered I want to spread a message to people to always be safe and don’t take life for granted, because once it’s over, it’s over.”

Mr Coughlan returned home from hospital a week ago, and is living at his home in Albury with family.

“Since being back home it’s been better,” he said.

“Hospital was very tough from day one — so many people, noise and all the medication really took a toll on me.

“It’s much more cosier and nicer being home and I’m able to see my close friends whenever I need.”

Due to the costs involved with Mr Coughlan’s hospital stay, and because he doesn’t have private health insurance, Mr Coughlan’s best friend Sam Doyle has started a GoFundMe page.

It has raised almost $15,000 — three times the initial target.

Mr Doyle said he was happy to see his friend alive and well, and the money would go to his family.

“I was super worried he wouldn’t come out of this the same,” Mr Doyle said.

“But he has the same attitude and the same positive vibes, he’s still cracking jokes.

“That’s the thing that’s gonna get him through these hard times.

“He’s got a strong friend support network and family base.”

Mr Coughlan thanked everyone for their support.

“To everyone who donated and supported me through the GoFundMe page it means the world,” he said.

“Shout out to my best mate Sam for putting it together.”