CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — A 23-year-old man was bitten by an alligator in Port Charlotte.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received the report near a pond behind Banditos Bar in Port Charlotte. Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), and Charlotte County Fire & EMS all responded to the scene early Sunday morning.
Charlotte County Fire and EMS tells us the man had to have his arm amputated and multiple people told FOX 4 it was quite the scene.
Ron Williams says he was at the bar on Saturday night into early Sunday morning when a man... "Jumped in the water trying to swim around antagonizing the alligators and he got his arm bit off. A group of people came running up with panic look on their face. They said this guy just got his arm bit off."
Charlotte County Fire and EMS Public Information Officer Todd Dunn said they received the call at 1:40am Sunday stating, "For an animal bite it was a male patient he ended up having an amputation of his arm and we transported as a traumatic injury obviously and he was flown airlifted to the hospital."
Williams, "It was pretty ignorant to be out on the water knowing it’s mating season they’ll get territorial when there’s another female around."
"We live in Florida be aware of where you are anytime at night probably stay away from bodies of water because we have alligators and it’s always wise to remember that and stay out of the water," says PIO Todd Dunn.
Dunn adding they haven’t had any animal bites from an alligator or a shark in the recent history. Also saying bystanders actually used a tourniquet to stop the bleeding on the man which he says can be lifesaving.
Witnesses say Sunday morning they saw saw wildlife crews on the water fishing the alligator out and that it took quite a while saying the alligator looked more than 10 feet long.
FWC says the alligator was humanely killed. FWC is investigating the incident.
The FWC places the highest priority on public safety and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) [scanmail.trustwave.com].
People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and we will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation.
