An alligator bit off the arm of a Florida fisherman Sunday at a golf course pond near Leesburg, Fla., Fox 35 reports. New York Post and click Orlando.
A 9-foot-3-inch alligator attacked a victim who was catching fish in a pond, Fox 35 reports.
Witness Ron Priest told the local Fox affiliate that the man caught the fish. He explained that the victim was on the ground “facing the alligator.” The priest explained that “the gator grabbed the guy’s arm and the two of them rolled away.”
The priest’s wife was one of the two callers who reported the incident to emergency services. In one audio recording from the dispatch call, the caller is heard telling the dispatcher, “There’s an alligator attacking a man in my yard,” adding, “Some people have pulled up in their golf carts right now!”
That same caller told the 911 dispatcher that the man was “groaning and moaning all the time” and walking around with bloody hands.
Stock image of an alligator. Getty
After the second person answered, the dispatcher asked, “Is this about the alligator attack?”
“Yeah, he took his hand off,” another caller replied.
“Oh no, okay,” added the dispatcher. Then, in a panic, the caller said, “The hand is gone!”
Expert advice on how to survive an alligator attack
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(663x438:665x440)/florida-alligator-071823-d10d2a8d384849c5b0bb2070ab016ca1.jpg)
A smiling alligator in Florida.
Getty
After the alligator bit off the fisherman’s hand, the animal then left the victim and the caught fish and returned to the pond, reports New York Post.
A medical helicopter arrived minutes after the 911 call and airlifted the man to a hospital in Orlando, Fox 35 reports. There was no update on his condition at the time of this post.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the alligator was then captured and removed from the lake, according to New York Post.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(726x112:728x114)/ambulance-generic-tout-091223-761890c52a6b49cd97d462ce5284f78a.jpg)
Stock image of an ambulance.
Getty
Firefighter-paramedic who survived alligator attack in Fla. To Lake: ‘I shouldn’t be alive’
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Representatives from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Lake County Fire Department did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Tuesday.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education