Florida Man Loses Arm To Alligator After Using Pond As Bathroom

You may have seen this story circulating. A 23 year-old Florida man loses his arm to a 10-foot alligator outside of a Port Charlotte restaurant. He was airlifted to a local hospital early Sunday morning. While it's definitely a weird feeling for him to feel like his arm is still there, but it's not. He told WBBH that he is just grateful to be alive and for the "angels" that saved him.

Early Sunday morning Justin Rivera was visiting a local restaurant, Banditos Bar. The bar overlooks a large lake that is home to multiple Florida wildlife species, including alligators. Restaurant regulars say that it's pretty common for customers to feed gators in the lake or throw their leftovers in the water (even though it's illegal to do so). One customer said that gator has been there for 20 years. Rumors were going around that Justin was feeding the gator when the attack happened, but Justin shut those down.

He admitted to WBBH that he was at the Banditos restaurant near closing time and it was still pretty busy. The line for the restroom was extremely long so he decided to walk behind the restaurant and relieve himself at the pond. At the time, he couldn't see just how big the body of water was and didn't really understand gators were there until this moment. He states that he's not sure what happened but somehow he fell and landed into the water, and that was the last thing he remembers.

What could have been a tragic ending became a miracle when bar patrons saw him and rushed to help. They quickly pulled him out of the water and tied a tourniquet to his arm. The gator got his elbow causing him to lose the arm. He still has a bit of a road to recovery ahead of him. Doctors have to clean out the bacteria that the gator left behind.

According to WBBH, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission removed and euthanized the gator. This is a common procedure after attacks.

[Source: NBC-2/WBBH]

In the world of Florida alligators, courtship typically begins during the month of April. May and June are the usual alligator mating season. Though we are only two weeks into the month, there have already been a handful of reports in the state detailing strange alligator behavior.

Last week in Oviedo, a crew of public workers were surprised to find a five-foot alligator staring at them while examining a stormwater pipe. They had been tasked with looking into various potholes in Seminole County.

"Using a four-wheeled remote-control robot with a built-in camera, the team scrutinized the underground piping for any defects or blockages, only to discover a 5-foot alligator blocking the drains," Newsweek reported. Apparently, the crew followed the alligator through the pipe. Eventually, their robotic camera got dismantled and the alligator roamed away. The Newsweek report has still of the incident.

In the Fort White area, three women were casually floating down the Ichetucknee River on tubes. Suddenly, they were greeted by an alligator hissing at them. The alligator was resting upon a log. It was believed to be protecting its nest. Fox 13 secured some video clips of the strange sounds.

Last week, a Kendall resident found a not-so-friendly alligator enjoying a swim in their backyard pool. UPI reported that wildlife officials responded to the call and attempted to capture the 10-foot gator. The pool was not screened in. There is also a body of water close by where they believe the alligator might have come from. A crew member who came to the rescue explained that any alligator captured over four feet will be put in captivity.

Finally, Field and Stream has footage of other recent strange occurrences that have happened during alligator mating season. These include one alligator bending a metal fence, one walking across the street in Naples, and one at the front door of a house.

Here are a few things to know about the May and June alligator mating season in Florida.

You are more likely too see an alligator during mating season. Mating season aligns to this time of year partially due to the weather warming up. This in turn makes the alligators more comfortable with coming out. It was not uncommon for alligators to be seen more than usual this past winter due to the weather being warmer this year.

These are the times of day when an alligator is most active. They can be found in any body of water. They react to any splashing of water. At water's edge, they likely think any movement is an animal. Lower water levels also increase their movement abilities.

There are some general precautions you can take during alligator mating season. You should never feed them. In Florida, it's against the law to feed any animal living in the wild. It also makes them more comfortable around humans when you you feed them; it also teaches them to associate people with food. Keep your pets away from alligator friendly areas and bodies of water that have rising waters. Be aware that the size of the alligator does not matter in regards to how much damage it can cause. Smaller sized are also dangerous. If you were being chased by an alligator, it is best to run away in a straight line.

Lastly, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission can always be contacted here, where you can also find additional information.