CONGRESS TWP. -- A 23-year-old Wayne County man is recovering after surgery from wounds he suffered when he accidentally shot himself early Tuesday morning.

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office received a call from a Lodi Community Hospital representative regarding a person who had been shot, Capt. Doug Hunter said. At the time of the call, there were not a lot of details.

Deputies responded to a home in the 9500 block of Overton Road, north of Pleasant Home Road, and talked to one of the residents. They discovered the man had been sleeping in a room converted into a bedroom when he apparently suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, with the bullet entering into the lower chest area, Hunter said.

The investigation revealed the 23-year-old was sleeping with a loaded 9mm handgun underneath his pillow. He told deputies he knocked the gun out from under the pillow and tried to grab it. The gun apparently hit the floor, discharged and struck him in the lower chest area.

Residents at the house drove him to Lodi Community Hospital, and he was eventually transported via a medical helicopter to Akron General Hospital, where he underwent surgery. The injuries appear to be non-life-threatening, Hunter said.

"I feel it's important when individuals are storing loaded firearms in the home for self-protection, they should store them in such a way that they are not accessible when in bed." Hunter said. "It's important for individuals to be fully awake when handling a loaded firearm."

Reporter Bobby Warren can be reached at 330-287-1639 or bwarren@the-daily-record.com. He is @BobbyWarrenTDR on Twitter.