But it took another 2 1/2 hours to kill and land the big reptile, cut it open and retrieve the arm. The tragic event serves as an unfortunate reminder that humans were not the only living things displaced during hurricane Ida, and flooded areas are now particularly hazardous to trek through. SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. A man was taken to the hospital after being bitten by an alligator at Lake Jesup Park around 6 p.m. Thursday evening, officials said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Merda reached over to grab the animal in an unsuccessful attempt to free his arm. Suggest a story here: http://bit.ly/suggest-tomonews\r\rStay connected with us here:\rFacebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS\rTwitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS\rGoogle+ http://plus.google.com/+TomoNewsUS/\rInstagram @tomonewsus http://instagram.com/tomonewsus-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-Please watch: \"Crying dog breaks the internets heart but this sad dog story has a happy ending\" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4prKTN9bYQc-~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Legal Statement. Dandwate followed them into the water, trying to get to them out. 1:08 A petting zoo thanked a man for his heroism after he jumped on an alligator to save a handler who was caught in its jaws. However, upon returning to her husband, his body was nowhere to be found, leading officials to presume the man had been finished off by the gator. Do not feed the gators and you guys know who you are, throwing rocks at them, Ive seen it on the job sites, leave them gators alone, Merda cautions. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. 2023 Cox Media Group. Market data provided by Factset. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The strikes left 34 people injured, including three children, and caused widespread damage. Eric Merda, 43, from Sarasota, was visiting the Lake Manatee Fish Camp in Myakka City on July 17 when he got lost. Published on April 17, 2023 03:56 PM. A Florida man who had his arm ripped off by an alligator as he swam across a lake has offered some advice, saying: "Leave them gators alone". The ABC Action News app brings you the latest trusted n. If youre laughing, were laughing. , updated A Florida man is opening up about a recent nightmarish alligator attack that resulted in the loss of one of his arms. It turned out to be "not the smartest decision a Florida boy could make," Merda told Florida news station 10 Tampa Bay on September 5. Funck and two friends from Slidell, La., about 20 miles northeast of New Orleans, had trudged half a mile to a small pond called Crystal Lake for a swim Wednesday afternoon. He said he spent three days trying to find his way out of the swamp. "I was reborn for a reason, and I believe that is to motivate people.". Fatal alligator attacks are rare in the United States, typically occurring about once a year. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "Leave them gators alone" - that's the advice from a Florida man who lost his arm to one of the huge reptiles after he took the questionable decision to swim across a lake. A Louisiana man was missing and presumed dead after an alligator attacked him on Monday in an area that was flooded during Hurricane Ida, the authorities said.. A woman said that at about noon on . Florida Fish and Wildlife said that a contracted alligator trapper removed a six-foot and nine-foot alligator from the lake on the day after the Merda attack, WFLA-TV reported. "He's got a long way to go, lots of surgery. Wildlife officials tracked down and killed the alligator. So I followed the sun and power lines, stuff I could see. On the third day, he found a fence and someone on the other side. He was talking to us and everything. He bent down to pick up his ball, and an alligator bit off his forearm. The men were able to insert two additional harpoons into the alligator before grabbing more line to raise it to the surface to harvest it, according to the report. Fla. Man Hospitalized After Alligator Bites His Face During Swim Near Tampa, 11-Foot Alligator Attacks and Kills Florida Woman, 85, Who Was Walking Her Dog, Florida Alligator Stuck in Pond with Her Mouth Taped Shut Is Rescued and Freed After 2 Months, Meet the Fla. 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A Louisiana Man Had His Arm Bitten Off By An Alligator Walking In Hurricane Ida's Floodwaters, And Then He Vanished Jessica Howard Contributing Writer Instagram Twitter September 1,. When she returned, Satterless was missing.Neighbors said large alligators are common in the area, near the Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge, because some residents feed them. Eric Merda, a 43-year-old Sarasota resident, fell victim to the alligator after he decided to take a swim at Lake Manatee Fish Camp in Myakka City on July 17. Finally, Merda said he encountered a man on the other side of a fence who asked him what he was doing. March 29, 2021 12:15 pm ET. The shocking video was caught on camera and is now going viral. \r\riPhone: http://bit.ly/http://bit.ly/iOS-wfts\rAndroid: http://bit.ly/abcaction-android According to NBC News, a 71 year-old man was walking in the floodwaters outside his home in Slidell, Louisiana when he was attacked by an alligator. Between 1948 and 2021, there were 442 unprovoked bite incidents in the state, 26 of which were fatal. We cover the funniest, craziest and most talked-about stories on the internet. Search crews have used a cadaver dog in their search for the victim, St. Tammany Parish sheriffs Capt. A Florida man has lost a portion of his right leg after he was reportedly attacked by an alligator at an RV park in Brevard County. An alligator trapper was dispatched to the scene, but it is not known if the animal which attacked Merda was found. A Florida man who says he was attacked by an alligator is in good spirits despite losing an arm and finding himself stranded in a swamp for three days. A midwestern farmer called emergency services, shouting: "Come before it gets me again!" after he was attacked by his pet zebra at a farm in . Following the attack, she was able to bring him in a bit closer to their home, where she then ran to retrieve first aid for his severed limb. Dramatic video showed the encounter, which ended after a bystander jumped into the tank and grabbed the gator while the woman . Feeding alligators can also decrease their fear of people and lead to attacks, Kinler said. The alligator's bite was so powerful bite that Heim needed 34 stitches in his head. Bones poking out, muscles, if I try to move my fingers, you could see it twitching, he struggled to recall. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Doctors at . Arcturus: New COVID-19 variant spreading in the U.S with new symptom, Gov. He and manager Dusty Baker came to the mound and spoke with the right-hander for a couple of minutes before escorting him off the field. I look over and theres [an alligator] on my right-hand side so I went to swim and she got my forearm so I grabbed her like this, she was trying to roll but she snapped her head so my arm went backwards like this completely, Merda recalled. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share. MYAKKA CITY, Fla. ( WWSB /Gray News) - A man lost a large part of his arm when was bitten by an alligator while swimming in a Florida lake. I was given the opportunity to make a chance, and I decided to live. But Fred Boyce bit off more than he could chew; as he approached the beast, the alligator viciously attacked him, nearly ripping off his arm. A Florida man wrestled an alligator, saved his new puppy and managed not to drop his cigar in a harrowing rescue captured on surveillance footage. Funck was in stable condition Thursday, Dunn said. He was like just help, help, help. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Click here to read more about limb reattachment surgery. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. "It had been pulled from the shoulder.". 'I didn't know if he was dead or alive when I first walked upon him,' the rescuer said. The Sarasota man tried to seek help, but then realized he was lost and wandered for three days in severe agony. Updated: Sep 8, 2022 / 04:54 PM EDT. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The man was attacked outside his home in the New Orleans suburb of. The reptile went into "death rolls," a technique used to tear apart food.. After a gator bit Eric Merda's arm off while swimming in Lake Manatee, he spent three exhausting days on the swamp with one arm, Tampa's WTSP reports.There have been at least a half-dozen gator attacks in the Tampa Bay region this season, the most recent of which involved a . Now, Merda's family is asking for financial help to help him adjust to his new life. Alligator bit off most of a woman's arm while she was swimming in the Wekiva River in Seminole County, Florida. On July 17, Eric Merda was swimming across Lake Manatee when an almost-seven-foot-long alligator bit and severed his arm, according to local station WFLA News Channel 8. One of the alligators attacks him and bites down on his arm. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Then. "It's do or die," Merda explained. He can be also heard screaming while scrambling out. Central Florida family says their Yorkie survived backyard alligator attack. The man, who officials did not identify, was attacked . A golf resort in South Carolina posted a photo of a man on the golf course dangerously grabbing the tail of an alligator while another man took his picture. However, thanks to a brave man, the handler's hand was freed from the jaws of the reptile. In a message to others, Merda told 10 Tampa Bay that people should be cautious around Florida waters. Then, suddenly something unexpected happens. VIDEO: Bear, two cubs stroll down Orange County neighborhood sidewalk. WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah A 31-year-old woman was hospitalized after an alligator she's worked with for many years bit her hand and pulled her into the water at a traveling reptile show in West Valley City. "He will no longer be able to do the work he loves, and many other things he loved doing," his aunt Evelyn James wrote in a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe, titled 'my nephew the born survivor, gets attacked.'. The video shared online claims to show an unfortunate accident where a Crocodile (or alligator) bites off the head of a Bungee jumper! He swam back to where he started, and then he began walking around, screaming for help. "It was all together, but it was a blueish color," McCrea said of the torn limb. ' Merda recalled. "This was a very large gator, and as they get bigger they can become more aggressive," said Noel Kinler, manager of the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' alligator program. On July 17, Eric Merda was swimming across Lake. The commission, Seminole County Sheriffs Office and fire and rescue teams responded to the incident. Legal Statement. A 71-year-old Louisiana man is missing after an alligator bit off his arm in floodwaters caused by Hurricane Ida. "I said a gator got my arm, he says 'holy smokes man! WFTV CNN affiliate WFTS reports. Eric Merda, 43, lost his arm to an alligator while swimming in Florida lake (Fox 13 Tampa Bay) After the alligator finally retreated, Merda says he was injured and lost in the swamp for three. Feeling like he was walking in circles, he decided to follow the sun and power lines that he could see. 02:13 - Source: WFTS Latest Videos 17 videos Drone footage captures. Lance Vitter said Thursday. The clip has garnered more than 2K likes. Officials are warning residents not to feed alligators which is not only illegal but can also cause alligators to be more aggressive toward people and associate them with food availability. Then, he was stretchered off to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where surgeons removed most of his right arm. They searched until it got dark yesterday, and unfortunately we still havent located Mr. Satterlee, Vitter said. SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) A Sarasota man spent three days lost in a swamp after losing his arm in a gator attack. An enormous alligator, dubbed "Big Joe" by residents, attacked Funck, biting off his arm at the shoulder and sparking a scramble to save the boy's life. Merda told the outlet that he spotted his truck across a body of water and jumped into the water figuring he could swim to his vehicle. All rights reserved. Florida man survives for THREE DAYS in the swamp after an alligator bites off his arm when he attempted to swim through a lake: 'Not the smartest decision a Florida boy can make' Eric. I was given the opportunity to make a chance, and I decided to live. Garca looked to be in pain and shook his right arm a bit . It happened Tuesday in Charlotte City, north of Fort Myers. October 9, 2009 / 1:08 PM / AP. 'Bones poking out, muscles, if I try to move my fingers, you could see it twitching,' he said. The alligator was caught and euthanized around 12:30 a.m. today, the FWC said. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) there are an estimated 1.3 million alligators in the state that inhabit all wild areas that can support them. An alligator handler got wrangled in by the creature she was hired to control -- but before things turned deadly . The reptile chomps down and . Officials were not sure why the alligator attacked the boy, although in warm weather they feed more often, Kinler said. Describing the grisly state of his arm, he told 10 Tampa Bay he could see bones and muscles exposed. A birthday party at a Utah reptile park turned into a horrible experience for the children, when an alligator bit the handler's hand and dragged her into its enclosure. Fortunately, he escaped unhurt. 8/16/2021 12:05 PM PT. Weatherholt, a 63-year-old airboat captain in the Florida Everglades, was giving a tour of the area to an Indiana family on June 12 when a 9-foot alligator suddenly sank its teeth into his wrist, severing his hand. Despite losing the arm, Merda says he feels a new sense of purpose after the attack. "Leave the alligators alone," Merda warned. "I was reborn for a reason, and I believe that is to motivate people," Eric Merda told WFLA about the July incident. There have been at least six alligator attacks near Tampa so far this year, 10 Tampa Bay reported. But family friend Cory Dunn said the effort was unsuccessful. The man, who is in his 70s, was . One day after Merda was rescued, Florida Fish and Wildlife told the outlet that a contractor had removed two alligators from the artificial reservoir a six-foot and a nine-foot alligator. Associated Press. SLIDELL, La. By Merda is one of those fortunate individuals who were able to share his experience. 'They cut the fence they helped him up, and he actually walked to the ambulance.'. WTSP shared portions of the interview with Merda on their Youtube. Luckily, Dandwate survived the attack, at the cost of losing his left arm, and is expected to be fitted with a prosthetic limb. A man who was diving for shark teeth was bitten in the head by a nine-foot alligator and he survived the attack. The towels, toys and other gear that still dotted the beach Thursday testified to the spot's popularity with area kids. Harriet Alexander For Dailymail.com, That's a tail-gator! Market data provided by Factset. \r\rABC Action News, WFTS, covers local news in Tampa Bay and Florida. On 1 February 2018, the dubious web site World News Daily Report published a fake news article about a Greenpeace activist who had his arm bitten off by a shark after they tried to give it a hug . Merda was taken to hospital where doctors amputated most of his right arm. Storyful. "With a bone poking out and a lot of pain, the whole three days I was screaming at the top of my lungs," he said. A Florida man says he survived being lost in a swamp for three days before finding help after an alligator attack. Only 13 fatalities were recorded nationally since 2000, and none was in Louisiana. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Eric Merda, 43, says he had just finished an irrigation job in July in Parrish Florida when he decided to stop at Lake Manatee Fish Camp to throw away trash which resulted in him getting lost in the woods, WTVT-TV reported. And there's nothing, no words can describe it, you know. Officials say an alligator bit off part of a golfer's arm as he leaned over to pick up his ball at a private South Carolina course. He was talking to us and everything. FORT MYERS-NAPLES, Fla. -- An attempt to remove an alligator found at a Florida home led to a man with a bite to his arm. A 71-year-old Louisiana man is missing after an alligator bit off his arm in floodwaters caused by Hurricane Ida. 'I look over and there's a gator on my right-hand side,' he told 10 Tampa Bay. If youre outraged, were outraged. "Do not feed the gators and you guys know who you are, throwing rocks at them, I've seen it on the job sites, leave them gators alone," he said. This story has been shared 390,266 times. Witnesses told police that three of them were alligator hunting on the side side of Lake Jesup when they caught an alligator by a snatch line. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. An alligator attacking a man swimming in a lake in Florida was captured by drone footage. I looked at my hand and saw there was blood all over it. '", In an interview with Fox13 Tampa Bay from the time, the man who found Merda said: "I didn't know if he was dead or alive when I first walked upon him. All rights reserved. Merda was immediately flown to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where doctors amputated the remnants of his arm. I'm going up, and I'm not coming back down.". SLIDELL, La. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football) Other people on the boat were able to force the alligator to release its bite, according to the report. 0:57 Video shows shoppers fleeing from ISIS-inspired attacker i Woman has 'loud, full body orgasm' in the middle of LA concert, All the red carpet highlights and star-studded fashionfrom the Karl Lagerfeld-themed Met Gala, Bride killed, groom seriously hurt by drunk driver just minutes after leaving reception, Rihannas Met Gala bridal look makes fan question if she married A$AP Rocky, Inside Met Gala 2023: See celebs let loose at extravagant dinner, Pregnant Rihanna arrives fashionably late in blooming white gown at Met Gala 2023, Khristina Williams previews the New York Liberty's 2023 WNBA season, Elon Musk Tells Bill Maher Woke Mind Virus Is Dangerous On Real Time, Katy Perry will be temporarily replaced on 'American Idol' amid drama. Then the gator lunged at me and I backed up so that my fins were facing . He was like just help, help, help. Trump's latest attack addresses DeSantis' overseas trips to the U.K., Israel, Florida's Covid-19 record, and polling support for the 2024 Presidential race. The caption of the video reads, "Just a taste". Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. After a gator bit Eric Merdas arm off while swimming in Lake Manatee, he spent three exhausting days on the swamp with one arm, Tampas WTSP reports. In a TikTok video shared by @thereptilezoo, a woman let a massive alligator lay on top of her and it ended up urinating all over the place! A Utah reptile center employee is recovering after an alligator yanked her into its enclosure during a presentation, thrashing her around before a fast-acting visitor leapt inside and helped free. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. The comments below have not been moderated, By FLORIDA MAN WIELDING MACHETE DEAD AFTER BREAKING INTO HOME, TELLING SLEEPING RESIDENT 'I LOVE YOU', Lake Manatee Fish Camp, Myakka City Florida (Fox 13 Tampa Bay), "I'm thriving," Merda said. As if Hurricane Ida itself wasnt horrific enough, Louisianians are now facing a new dilemma: navigating all the various hazards it created. This story has been shared 153,567 times. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Merda said he walked for three days until he found a fence and saw a man who he asked to help. He eventually located the lake and decided to swim across rather than trek around. Each time, he fought his way back to the surface. A 72-year-old man's leg was bitten off by an alligator in Florida Friday afternoon, according to Brevard County Fire Rescue officials. St. Tammy Parish Sheriff Randy Smith went on to urge residents to be extra vigilant when walking in flooded areas, as wildlife has been displaced as well during this storm and alligators and other animals may have moved closer into neighborhoods.. Heres hoping the in the coming days we dont see too much of an increase in that, folks stay safe, and demolished areas start to be rebuilt. It's the people throwing rocks and giving them food.". 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. By Claudia Cuskelly 09:59, Wed, Sep 21, 2016 | UPDATED: 10:54, Wed, Sep 21, 2016 Video Claim The video claiming to show a Bungee jumper's head bitten off by a Crocodile has been circulating via email and social networking & video sharing sites for several years. As of right now, the victims name has not been disclosed. 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Im going up, and Im not coming back down.".