Florida Alligator Attack: Man Pulled Into Water, Bitten By 12-Foot Gator

A Florida alligator farm employee was hospitalized after he was pulled into the water by a gator.

Jim Darlington, a curator of reptiles at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, was bitten by a 12-foot-long alligator in the farm's swamp area. According to local reports, the man was in a canoe when the incident took place.

The reptile grabbed the man by his elbow and pulled him into the water while he was going to retrieve a photographer's tripod. The man managed to break free. Paramedics arrived at the scene and rushed the victim to a local hospital.

“His years of experience with crocodilians helped him to get out of the situation as safely as possible. Jim is doing well and receiving treatment at Flagler Hospital. We invite you all to join us in wishing Jim the best and quickest recovery,” the farm said in a statement.

Speaking to First Coast News, John Brueggen, the owner of the farm, said it was very rare for a gator to attack someone in a canoe. Brueggen, who believes that the reptile shouldn't be killed because of the incident, added that the gator will be left in the swamp as it was just behaving naturally.

The condition of the victim was not known.

The incident comes months after a Florida man was attacked by an alligator. According to Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the man, believed to be a hunter, was bitten in the leg by an alligator. He suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a hospital. Officials believed the alligator was about 10 feet long.

A research report released in July 2019 stated that most of the alligator attacks in Florida occurred when humans tried to feed them.

“Monthly frequency of bites was positively correlated with both mean maximum and mean minimum air temperatures but was not significantly correlated with testosterone concentration in adult male alligators, suggesting that bites are more likely related to feeding rates associated with seasonal fluctuations in ambient temperature than to aggression by male alligators during the breeding season,” the report stated.