Jordan Rivera, a 23-year-old man from Florida, was simply relieving himself at the back of a bar when he accidentally fell into a pond that had a hungry alligator.
Right Arm Ripped Off by Gruesome Alligator Attack
Mr. Rivera then lost his arm due to the attack, which is something that he reportedly does not remember, the Jerusalem Post reports.
While on his hospital bed, he told NBC2 that he did not understand the alligators until he woke up on the hospital bed with the news that an alligator got his arm. He stated that the attack did not make him die and that it was not the end of the world.
The alligator got his right elbow. However, he could still move his right arm around a bit.
He explained that he ended up moving toward the hole of water without realizing its size back then. As he was moving closer, something happened. Mr. Rivera could have tripped, or the ground under him could have just fallen. He adds that he entered the water, and that was the last thing that he could remember.
USA Today adds that Mr. Rivera was attacked at the back of Banditos Bar, which is situated close to a pond within Port Charlotte. Locals reportedly rescued him by pulling him out of the water and treating him with a handy tourniquet.
Emergency responders then treated him with an amputation of his upper right arm, above the elbow. He was then airlifted to Gulf Coast Hospital via helicopter.
Manny Hidalgo, who is a patron of a different bar, explained to the Daily Sun that he could hear screams from the man and that he tried going outside to look for him close to the pond. Hidalgo explains that the man was screaming and swimming to the shore, and he dragged Rivera onto the sand. Hidalgo expresses that he was scared to get close to the waters due to the darkness.
USA Today reports that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission removed the alligator, which was 10.5 feet long, from the area and humanely killed it.
Alligator Attacks
According to AZ Animals, alligators tend to be dangerous and wild creatures. Getting close to, provoking, or tempting alligators is never a good idea.
However, actual alligator attacks tend to be quite rare. There are also less common instances of these creatures feeding on humans. AZ Animals adds that there have only been 401 reported alligator attacks in Florida since the year 1948. Among these, only a few were found to be fatal.
While these creatures usually fear people, when they attack, they can move at 30 mph on land. In the water, they can swim at speeds of 20 mph. Moreover, due to the way these creatures store their energy, they tend to be quick when they move.
RELATED ARTICLE: 11-Foot Alligator Euthanized After It Viciously Attacked, Murdered a Private Golf Community Member in South Carolina
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