Andrew Hudson was swimming in a Florida river on Monday when a large alligator ambushed him with a severe bite to the head.
And as strange as this sounds, Hudson might have been fortunate that the gator didn't chomp onto a softer part of his body, because it might have been torn off.
The 17-year-old's injuries, suffered as he swam in the Little Econ River with friends, were not life-threatening.
This is in part because his friends called for help so quickly, but also because Hudson pulled off his shorts and wore them around his head to stifle the bleeding.
"It just came up behind me. I didn’t see one all day in there and then it just came up behind me and I felt it and I started freaking out and swam as fast as I could," Hudson told KFOR TV.
The alligator was estimated to measure 9-10 feet.
The Little Econ River is located in the Little Big Econ State Forest, in Florida's Seminole County. According to the Florida Forest Service, it's popular among canoeists, anglers, hikers and birders.
As for swimming, that seems more than a bit risky.
--Alligator photo is generic
Comments