Florida Man Loses Arm in Alligator Attack
A Florida man lost an arm after an alligator attack outside a local bar, authorities said. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In a harrowing incident early Sunday morning, a Florida man lost his arm from an alligator attack near a pond behind a local bar.

According to CNN, emergency responders found the 23-year-old victim had an above the elbow amputation of his upper right extremity.

In a statement, Charlotte County Fire & EMS spokesperson Todd Dunn said bystanders had quickly applied a tourniquet to the patient before the arrival of the responding crew.

Authorities in Port Charlotte, Florida, promptly dispatched an alligator trapper to the location near the bar called Banditos.

The trapper successfully dealt with the situation by "humanely killing" a 10 feet and five inches long alligator, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a press release.

While serious alligator-related injuries are infrequent, the state's wildlife agency emphasized its utmost commitment to public safety.

It also issued a cautionary advisory, urging individuals to maintain a safe distance from alligators and restrict swimming activities to approved zones during daylight hours.

The agency further warned against feeding alligators, as this can disrupt their natural wariness, and instead learn to associate humans with the availability of food.

Residents must also exercise caution with their pets by keeping them on leashes and away from shorelines, as alligators may mistake them for prey.

To address concerns related to alligator attacks, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission contracts alligator trappers throughout the state under its Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program to remove alligators that may pose a threat.

Before the Alligator Attack, Shark Also Attacks Another Florida Man While Spearfishing

In a different incident off the coast of Marathon in the Florida Keys, Fox News reported that a 20-year-old Florida man named Kevin Blanco shared his chilling encounter with a bull shark as he recovers from bite wounds in Miami's Jackson South Medical Center.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Blanco recounted the terrifying moment when the bull shark, known to reach lengths of up to 10 feet and weigh around 500 pounds, unexpectedly emerged and attacked him while diving approximately 70 feet below the surface. The shark clamped down on his calf not once but twice.

"I've been in that situation a lot of times, and they are usually afraid of us," Blanco noted. "That one was not afraid of us. He wanted me. It was a scary event."

According to an official press release from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the shark attack occurred around 3 p.m. on Thursday near Marathon. A private boat quickly came to Blanco's aid, pulling him to shore. A medical helicopter then transported him to a hospital.

Blanco said he had spent much time in the water and had never seen a shark behave like that. Medical professionals are attending to Blanco's wounds to prevent potential infections.

He is expected to be discharged from the hospital and be able to return home in less than a week.

Shark Attacks Another Florida Man Less 36 Hours Later

Just 36 hours after Kevin Blanco's scary experience with a bull shark, a 35-year-old Florida man in Summerland Key was also bitten by a shark while fishing off a dock, PEOPLE reported.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) said the incident happened on Flagship Drive. Surprisingly, the shark attack occurred while the fisherman was standing on the dock, not while he was in the water.

The sheriff's office reported that Trauma Star, an air medical transport service, quickly took the injured Florida man to the Jackson South Medical Center in Miami for treatment.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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