There’s an important lesson in this story: when in Florida, be careful.
I Lake County, the tranquility of nature was shattered when an alligator emerged from the water, resulting in the man losing his hand to the reptile’s powerful bite.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed the attack.
Ron Priest, who spoke to FOX 35 Orlando, described a harrowing scene: while the victim was on the ground, the alligator clamped down on his hand, leading to a desperate struggle between man and beast.
The urgency of the situation was made well aware in the 911 placed for help, with one caller stating starkly, “Hand is gone!” Priest elaborated that the victim was in the process of reeling in a fish when the alligator, likely eyeing the same fish, attacked. It remains unclear whether the man was trying to unhook the fish at the time, but the aftermath was undeniable—the alligator retreated to the water, leaving the fisherman gravely injured.
Rescue efforts were swift, with a helicopter transporting the man to a hospital in Orlando for emergency care. The decision to send the severed hand to a medical facility, as noted by Priest, was made in the slim hope that it might be reattached.
Following the attack, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took action to remove the alligator, classifying it as a “nuisance gator,” and euthanizing it. The male alligator measured nine feet, three inches in length.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission points out that the likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured by an unprovoked alligator is exceedingly rare, with odds of roughly one in 3.1 million. However, the statistics from 2022, which include 13 bites—nine major, two minor, and two fatal—serve as a somber reminder of the potential dangers.
Folks, it’s Florida not only does crazy stuff happen there all the time but some of the animals have teeth.
Not to mention you really gotta watch when you are the bank of any body of water in Florida.
