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A 23-year-old man suffered “significant injuries” in an alligator attack near Fort Myers, Fla., early Sunday morning, wildlife officials said. The man lost his arm as a result, according to the Associated Press.<\/p>\n
The alligator was 10 1\/2 feet long and was later killed. He attacked the man, whose name has not been released, behind Banditos Bar in Port Charlotte, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement to CBS News, and he pointed out that there is a pond next to the bar. Authorities from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and EMS responded to the incident along with the state wildlife agency, after receiving a report that a man had been bitten by an alligator. <\/p>\n
The man was airlifted to a Fort Myers hospital, where he underwent surgery to amputate his arm, the AP reported, citing a Charlotte County Fire and EMS spokesman. CBS News reached out to the spokesperson for confirmation, but did not immediately receive a response.<\/p>\n
Manny Hidalgo, another patron who was at the Banditos bar when the alligator attack happened, said he heard screams outside and came out of the bar with a flashlight to see what he said was going on. The daily sun<\/a>, a newspaper based in Port Charlotte. The victim was in the water when Hidalgo found him, he recalled.<\/p>\n “I was screaming and swimming toward shore,” Hidalgo told The Daily Sun in an interview Sunday afternoon. “I ran and dragged him to the sand. I was afraid to go near the water because it was dark.”<\/p>\n The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the incident. After the attack, the agency dispatched a nuisance alligator handler to the scene, who located the alligator and removed it from the property. The agency said the animal it measured was humanely killed. <\/p>\n Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. <\/p>\n Create your free account or login Trending news<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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