Man survives Florida alligator attack by ‘grabbing its teeth, tongue and snout’ video shows horrifying episode | US News

A man who was critically injured in the attack by a 12ft alligator in the incident captured by a drone told Sky News how he managed to grab the creature’s teeth, tongue and snout and can “magically” roll the animal.

JC La Verde, 34, said his head and torso entered the reptile’s mouth when it bit him before he could fend for it and run away.

Warning – this article contains graphic images

Footage shows him accidentally swimming towards an alligator that was rushing in the other direction at Lake Thonotosassa, near Tampa, Florida.

His colleague was filming him at the time on the lake for a promotional video for a stunt race and caught the terrifying attack on camera.

La Verde, a firefighter, said: “I couldn’t see it (the crocodile). I hit my head directly. It cut my head, shoulder blades and upper body.”

He said the impact felt like “hitting a brick wall”.

He said: “I felt the scales, I felt the teeth. I knew right away where I was. There was no doubt.”

Mr La Verde, an “above average” swimmer, said: “It hit me hard, punctured my skull and destroyed my jaw, dislocated my sides and broke in the middle. in two.”

It’s as “overwhelming that I survived this” as “it tried to kill me”.

“I knew I was going to get out of this situation and I knew I had to act,” he added.

“We rolled to the right. I really thought it rolled me but if it rolled me, I think I would feel my whole body jump and I don’t.

“So I was in its mouth. I was grabbing it with both hands, I was holding its teeth, and with my right hand I was also grabbing some of its tongue. I know. I feel my gums are tight and hard.”

“By doing that, I was able to magically turn it.”

Mr. La Verde said he has watched the video about 40 times since then.

He said there were two reasons it released him: “I wasn’t submissive, and I grabbed its snout and I was also playing with the inside of its mouth.”

“I was confused – but perhaps even more confused about what was going on, and perhaps about how quickly I did it.”

“We rolled and then it let go and then I kept swimming,” and he was able to get up and land safely at a nearby pier.

He was helped by some kind Samaritans before the ambulance arrived and he was taken to the hospital.

It is believed the alligator was trying to protect its nest nearby when the attack occurred on August 3.

Since then, the animal is said to have been captured and killed by the owner of a nearby property during “crocodile season”, which means it’s legal.

Mr La Verde was hospitalized for 10 days after having reconstructive surgery on his face, jaw and skull, with doctors removing part of his right temporal lobe which had been pierced by a piece of broken bone. his cracked skull.

His emergency surgery lasted six hours and he will need several more surgeries in the future. Now he must wear a helmet to protect the right half of his head.

His wife Christine told Sky News she found the episode “horrific” and she found out what happened on Facebook.

She said seeing her husband hospitalized after the trauma was “very overwhelming” and “shocking”.

She added that he was “making good progress”.