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Florida man who survived alligator attack caught on drone video: 'I shouldn't be alive'
ABC 7 Chicago Eyewitness News ^
| August 19, 2022
| ABC 7 Chicago Digital Team
Posted on 08/26/2022 12:21:19 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
TAMPA, Fla. (WLS) -- A Florida firefighter and paramedic is recovering after he became the center of his own emergency.
Two weeks ago, ABC affiliate WFTS reports J.C. La Verde was shooting an instructional video for his company when he was attacked by a 12-foot alligator as he swam in Lake Thonotosassa, near Tampa.
Drone video shot from overhead captured La Verde's brush with death. As soon as he realized he was inside a gator's mouth, he said he tried to open its jaws.
"When I felt the teeth, I immediately knew," La Verde said, "And then as I opened it, I knew that I either turned it or it turned me. But it was confused, just as I was confused, and then it just let go."
He swam to the dock, hoisted himself up and was driven to the hospital by a good Samaritan. He even called 911 himself to explain what happened.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc7chicago.com ...
TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Health/Medicine; Local News; Miscellaneous; Outdoors; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: alligator; attack; floridaman; injuries; surgeries; tampa
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
2
posted on
08/26/2022 12:22:30 PM PDT
by
Chode
(there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
How many attacks are there a year?
To: Chode
Was that the video! Crazy!
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Should have listened to the Seminoles...don’t swim in alligator water.
5
posted on
08/26/2022 12:26:12 PM PDT
by
Bonemaker
(invictus maneo)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Wild! Looks like he has a good supportive wife!
6
posted on
08/26/2022 12:26:19 PM PDT
by
albie
To: desertsolitaire
naaa, just floridaman showing off...
7
posted on
08/26/2022 12:28:52 PM PDT
by
Chode
(there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
To: Chode
The gator got a bad meth flavor in his mouth. Spit snack out.
8
posted on
08/26/2022 12:32:16 PM PDT
by
blackdog
(Cooler King Joe, killing a winning nation every day. )
To: blackdog
9
posted on
08/26/2022 12:40:32 PM PDT
by
Chode
(there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
To: Bonemaker
If there is water in Florida, there may be gators. Swimming pools included.
10
posted on
08/26/2022 12:44:22 PM PDT
by
rktman
(Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this? 😕)
To: desertsolitaire
No (that’s an old gif). I went to see the story. 1 min add, followed by 2:30 min interview. The footage just shows the gator swimming up to him but doesn’t show the struggle. The man is a fire fighter and paramedic who was shooting some sort of instructional video and had a drone looking down at the water.
Seems like a nice man and was fortunate to survive. Looks like he has a very long road to recovery though.
11
posted on
08/26/2022 1:27:37 PM PDT
by
swingdoc
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Wherever you are in FL always assume gators are there too.
12
posted on
08/26/2022 1:30:47 PM PDT
by
Georgia Girl 2
(The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Bet he never swum that fast before. Cheap camera on that drone.
.
.
Slow mo
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Well, as a Retired Paramedic myself, I’m sure this guy is gonna brag about his amazing response time………
Gator, injury, arrived on scene! BooYa!
(Inside joke)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Anyone dumb enough to swim in a pea-soup body of water in Florida deserves what they get!
15
posted on
08/26/2022 2:21:06 PM PDT
by
mcmuffin
(Jan. 20, 2017, Thank God!)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
God has plans and this man is still in them.
16
posted on
08/26/2022 3:07:54 PM PDT
by
Bulwyf
To: whyilovetexas111
"How many attacks are there a year?"
There were damn few before they were put on the endangered species list and using them for boots and skins and exotic meat was outlawed. Why are we forced to live with creatures that kill us. I'm glad there are no Tyrannosaurus rex around protected by the endanger species act.
17
posted on
08/26/2022 3:53:43 PM PDT
by
Hiddigeigei
("Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish," said Dionysus - Euripides)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
That is one lucky b@st@rd.
18
posted on
08/26/2022 4:30:20 PM PDT
by
Seruzawa
("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
To: Chode
19
posted on
08/26/2022 4:37:06 PM PDT
by
11th_VA
(My gender is MAGA.)
To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
What’s best for alligator? 357? 44mag? 454Casull? 500S&W? 700 Nitro Express? Ma Deuce? RPG? Tactical nuke?
20
posted on
08/26/2022 4:38:35 PM PDT
by
Seruzawa
("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
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