Wild West re-enactment ends in man 'accidentally shooting himself in the groin'

A Wild West enthusiast re-enacting a famous gun battle accidentally shot himself in the groin with a weapon that was not supposed to be loaded.

Actor Ken Curtis was airlifted to hospital in Tucson, Arizona, where he underwent surgery to remove the bullet. A bystander was also hit by shrapnel, but reportedly declined treatment.

Jeff Miller, the Tombstone Vigilantes' chief, told the New York Daily News the group always checks there are no live rounds inside the guns before re-enactments take place.

“We’ve been doing this since 1947, and we’ve never had an incident before,” he added.

“We have strict rules about that, so we’re not sure how this happened. It's not something we take lightly.”

Mayor of Tombstone Dusty Escapule has now advised the Tombstone Vigilante group to put the gunfight skits on hold as an investigation is carried out.

The group is said to have been re-enacting the shootout at the OK Corral, a famed 30-second gun battle involving Wyatt Erp and Doc Holliday. The OK Corral was a stables and its site in Tombstone is still marked for the benefit of Wild West fans.

The story of the fight was retold in the 1957 Western film Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Additional reporting by Press Association