SANFORD, Fla. – A man bitten by an alligator in Lake Monroe over the weekend refused help getting out of the water, according to a fisherman who said he tried to get the man out.
A newly released report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated the man was swimming in the lake when an alligator bit his arm. The 31-year-old was found on a sidewalk by a good Samaritan who called for help.
FWC said he was taken to a nearby hospital and had part of his arm amputated.
Investigators are still trying to figure out why he was in the lake at 2 a.m. Sunday morning when it happened. The man is believed to be homeless.
Our News 6 crew spoke with John Lawson Wednesday, who said he saw a man swimming near the trees and weeds in the area near the Central Florida Zoo that night. Lawson was in his boat fishing.
“I was fishing down the bank. It was getting dark. And I saw something floating, probably 500-600 feet away,” said Lawson. “People lose stuff all the time, so I always try to clean it up if I see it.”
When Lawson got closer, he realized it was a man in the water.
“He was dipping under the water and coming back up and gasping,” said Lawson.
Lawson thought he might need help.
“I asked him if he was alright. I startled him. He said, ‘Yeah, yeah, No. I’m good,’” Lawson said. “I kind of hung around for a minute just to make sure because it was strange going under the water.”
Lawson said his wife convinced him to call the police. He was concerned the man could drown or get hit by a boat in the dark.
“I was like, ‘Man, we’re just trying to help you. You’re out here in the dark, like you’re either gonna get hit by a boat or eaten by a gator,’ He said he wasn’t worried about gators,” Lawson said.
Lawson said the man started to get agitated.
“He mistook my navigation lights on my boat for spotlighting him. He was getting upset with me. And then eventually he started ignoring the officer and just throwing stuff at me,” Lawson said. “They were like offering blankets and clothes, like, ‘you know, just come talk to us.’ And, I’m just like, ‘man just go talk to them. It’s dangerous out here at night that’s for sure.’”
Researchers with FWC estimate there are more than 1,200 alligators in Lake Monroe. More than one million gators call Florida home, and yet the number of attacks each year is less than 20.
Mike Hileman, the park director at Gatorland, said alligator attacks are rare.
“Alligators are basically shy, non-aggressive animals believe it or not,” Hileman said. “They don’t like people. They try to stay away from us as much as possible.”
Hileman said alligators are typically more active at night, and right now we are in nesting season.
“The females are going to be building their nests, laying their eggs, and they’re going to guard their area,” said Hileman. “This is going to go all the way into September. So, they will chase off or catch anything that comes around. That includes people. So, we just need to be aware of our surroundings, make sure we’re staying out of those high vegetative areas, and don’t go swimming at 2:00 in the morning in a Florida lake.”
The FWC works to keep Floridians and visitors informed and recommends the following precautionary measures near alligators, including in or near the water, to reduce the chances of conflicts with alligators:
- Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator. If someone is concerned about an alligator, they 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.
- Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Pets often resemble alligators’ natural prey.
- Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.
- Never feed an alligator. It’s illegal and dangerous. When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food. This can lead to an alligator becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.
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