Florida cyclist bitten by alligator after falling from bike in water

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The man lost control of his bike on a trail in Halpatiokee Park in Stuart on Monday and fell from a six-foot embankment into the water near a female alligator, the sheriff’s office said in a statement from press also published on social networks.

The alligator, which authorities said was around 9 feet long, grabbed the man and caused him serious injuries before he could break free and crawl to an area where he got the help from a passerby, the statement said.

“He had a lot of markings all over his leg, but mostly in the upper thigh,” Shannon told WPTV.

Shannon told WPTV he used his dog’s leash as a makeshift tourniquet as he and other bystanders pulled the man to safety.

Man searching for shark teeth in Florida river survives alligator bite to head

“It was hanging from roots like five feet lower,” Shannon told WPTV. “It was hard to get him out.”

The sheriff’s office, Martin County firefighters and Florida Fish and Wildlife agents responded to provide assistance and secure the scene, the statement said.

Rescuers had to drive the victim more than a mile from the trail to an area of ​​the park where a medical helicopter could land, the statement said. Video of the sheriff’s office showed him being loaded into the helicopter.

Alligator trapper John Davidson was called in and captured the alligator shortly thereafter, and WPTV announced the animal would be moved.

“She was sitting 10 feet from the shore when I arrived,” Davidson told WPTV. “It leads me to believe that she was a female and that she was sitting on a nest somewhere nearby. So we will try to save the babies if we can.”

Louisiana alligator was discovered on a South Texas beach more than 400 miles away, raising questions about how it got there

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating, the sheriff’s office said.

The FWC says there are approximately 1.3 million alligators in Florida and that they live in all 67 counties in the state.

Attacks on humans are very rare, according to the agency.

There were 12 human alligator bites in 2020 and none were fatal, according to the FWC.



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