Young Jordan Rivera, 23, suffered the amputation of his arm after he was attacked by a 3.20-meter alligator in a pond in the town of Port Charlotte, in southern Florida.
Speaking to the local press, Rivera explained that he was in a bar, the line for the urinals and the bathroom was long, so he had to go to the back, located next to the pool. At that moment he was wounded by a snake.
“The team that responded to the scene treated the man who suffered an amputation of his right upper extremity above the elbow due to injuries,” Todd Dunn, a spokesman for Los Angeles Fire and Medical Services, said in a statement. press Charles County Emergency.
The same source added that the tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday in a pool near a place called Banditos Bar and that witnesses put a tourniquet on the victim before the emergency services arrived.
The injured man was hospitalized at Gulf Coast Hospital in Fort Myers with serious injuries. The health workers who treated him made the decision to amputate his arm to save his life.
“I lost my arm, but not my life,” said the young man, who, despite what happened, is optimistic.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) sent an expert to the scene who “humanely” captured and euthanized the animal.
The FWC confirmed that deaths or serious injuries by alligators are rare in the state.
The agency said the top priority is public safety, advising people to be safe from reptiles, not to feed them, and to swim only in designated areas during daylight hours.
“When they are fed, alligators lose their natural intelligence and learn to match the availability of food to humans. That can pose a danger to you and others who encounter the alligator in the process,” the agency says.
In addition, he advises residents to keep their watch on the leash and away from the mouth of the water, because alligators appear to be prey animals.
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hires alligator hunters across the state to eliminate the alligator threat. Residents can call the hotline to report concerns about these animals.
“In general, an alligator can be considered dangerous if it is at least 1.2 meters and is believed to pose a threat to people, care or property,” the site says.
The same source adds that the program’s goal is to “proactively address the threats posed by alligators in built-up areas by keeping alligators in the areas where they occur naturally,” according to the site.
Last April, another Florida man lost part of his right leg after being attacked by an alligator in a park in Brevard County, on the east coast of the state.
In that case, the attack happened at an RV park in Titusville, and because of his injuries, doctors had to amputate his right leg below the knee.
Alligators are usually most visible and active during the spring and summer.
Data released by the FWC in 2022 shows nine major alligator bites, two minor and no fatal attacks in the state last year.
