Teen Uses Discovery Channel Tip To Escape Alligator Attack

Local 6 (Florida) ^ | July 23, 2006

[Stoat]

Teen Uses Discovery Channel Tip To Escape Alligator Attack

Mom: Tip To Poke Eye With Thumb Saved Son's Life

 

POSTED: 9:29 pm EDT July 23, 2006

UPDATED: 9:58 pm EDT July 23, 2006

 

DELAND, Fla. -- A 16-year-old being dragged into a Central Florida lake by a large alligator used a tip he watched on the Discovery Channel to break free and likely save his life, according to a Local 6 News report.

Corey Workman was in a remote area of the St. John's River in Volusia County, Fla., just before midnight Saturday, throwing rocks and sticks into the water. Authorities said a 6- to 8-foot-long alligator jumped out of the water, grabbed Workman's left foot and dragged him into the lake.

 

 

  "He struggled with the alligator but could not get free until he remembered something he saw on the Discovery Channel about what to do if you are getting attacked by an alligator," Local 6 reporter Deborah Garcia said.

Workman poked the alligator in the eye with his thumb as he was told to do on the television show. His mom said the lesson of poking at the alligator's eye saved her son's life, Garcia said.

"If he was every bitten by a shark, he (learned) to put his hand in its gills and if he was ever attacked by a gator, to take his thumb and poke his thumb all the way in his eye and the gator released him," mother Elisa Badger said. "Thank God he was able to maintain his composure and not panic. He knew exactly what to do." "Everyone is calling teenager Corey Workman a very lucky young man today," Garcia said.

Trappers were trying to capture the alligator Sunday night. Workman remained in Florida Hospital Deland but could be released as early as Monday.

[HungarianGypsy]

I think there was a kid who used a Discovery Channel tip to escape a shark a while back, too.

[E=MC²]

He definitely was foolish. At a local state park near here they have a saying: "After dark only two things move out here...gators and gator food".

[Coleus]

way to go. I didn't think teens watched the discovery channel. I guess one could learn a lot more watching that than BET and MTV.

[SuziQ]

Heh, I was thinking along the same lines as you.
"Hey y'all watch this!"

He is one fortunate young man!

[Stoat]

way to go. I didn't think teens watched the discovery channel. I guess one could learn a lot more watching that than BET and MTV.

Yes, on BET they teach you to poke your thumb in the eye of white people and on MTV they teach you to poke your thumb in the eye of Republicans   :-)

[TaxRelief]

ping

[TaxRelief]

The only problem with your "food shortage" theory is that alligators will go up to a year without eating.

[jwparkerjr]

I was raised in Okeechobee in the mid-50's and your recollections about alligators is right-on. We lived on a large cattle ranch, with lots of creeks and lakes and seldom saw an alligator. Gators in those days knew to stay away from humans or risk becoming belts, purses or cowboy boots and a featured item on the menu of some little diner in a small town. Tastes like chicken.

[RunningWolf]

maintain presence of mind an emergency

Bump for some stories later (don't know when)

W.

[Jeff Chandler]

My take on the evening, is after he and a couple buddies were on the tail end of a case of Bud, they thought "Let's go f**k with that gator and throw some rocks at it..."

Heh heh heh. I remember being 16.

[Beckwith]

Then they began attacking people.

A lot of that comes from people feeding alligators when they're small and "cute." The gators lose their fear of humans and begin to see them as a food source.

[the invisib1e hand]

I live in NY now, where the gators roam the sewers...

[Stoat]

I live in NY now, where the gators roam the sewers...

And the roam the political arena as well   :-)

[3catsanadog]

Well, at my ol' swimmin' hole there were Democrats and pedophiles lurking.

[mentor2k]

[Stoat]

I see that Hillary Clinton's $1,600.00 haircut / makup application (as reported by the NY Post today according to radio host Mike Gallagher) has certainly been worth it. Hopefully she will spend the rest of her war chest in a similarly beneficial manner :-)

[Stoat]

Well, at my ol' swimmin' hole there were Democrats and pedophiles lurking.

hmmm.... "scratching furry stoat head, trying to determine whether there's any difference between the two"

[OneWingedShark]

"Wonder if the same method would work on Democrats. Someone please try it and report back ;-P "

Hmmm, before you do, let me invest in regenerative eye-replacement tecnology, kay?

[RebelTex]

"Well, at my ol' swimmin' hole there were Democrats and pedophiles lurking."

Whoa - that's got to be the most dangerous swimmin' hole, ever.   Can't top that - you win the prize - bravest swimmer in the country.

;^D

[RebelTex]

ROTFLOL

Is that a picture of LBJ or Teddy 'the swimmer' Kennedy?