Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

A terrified woman shot in the face by a longbow was saved by firefighters who helped remove the 28-inch arrow with bolt cutters.

Horrific footage of the procedure shows the woman on a hospital treatment bench in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, Northwest China.

The steel-shafted arrow had entered her face under her left eye and emerged just fractions of an inch from her left temple.

The woman was apparently hit by accident by a man who was practising archery as she was walking by.

The centimetre-thick arrow shaft was so tough, hospital medics could not cut it.

And the arrow was so long that the patient could not fit into a CT scanner.

So the hospital had to call in firemen, who used a bolt cutter to shorten the 70-centimetre-long shaft.

In the footage, one firefighter can be seen steadying the arrow while the other cuts off the flighted end.

As he snips, the patient squeals and flinches from the pain.

The woman was not named in local media but was described as middle-aged.

Bows and arrows are considered sporting equipment in China and their use is not regulated.

However, one anonymous fireman who took part in the rescue was quoted in local media as saying: “I hope that bow and arrow enthusiasts avoid public places when practising archery to avoid such things from happening again in the future.”

The police are reportedly investigating the case.