Man loses arm in alligator attack while trying to go to the bathroom
The man who remembered little about the attack remained positive after losing the limb: 'It's not the end of the world'
Impatient to wait in line for the bathroom at a busy bar, one Florida man's decision to relieve himself outdoors has ended with him losing a limb after a terrifying encounter with an alligator.
“Something happened where I either tripped or the ground below me just went down... I ended up in the water," Jordan Rivera told NBC News.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, with the 23-year-old not remembering the turn of events beyond his fall. However, a video taken by bystanders shows the moment he was dragged to safety after being attacked by the alligator.
As Mr Rivera drifts in and out of consciousness on the sandy bank, witnesses use an improvised tourniquet to stem the bleeding.
He later woke up in hospital completely disorientated, yet quickly adopted a rather calm outlook on his life-changing injury.
“I didn’t lose my life, I lost an arm, it’s not the end of the world,” he said.
“They [the alligator] got my elbow. So, I don’t have an elbow ... I can still move my arm around and whatnot.”
Authorities reportedly euthanise the alligator
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers reportedly found and removed the alligator that attacked Mr Rivera from the water. It measured over three metres in length and was euthanised, according to the commission.
A spokesperson for Charlotte County Fire told NBC News that staff responded to an alligator attack around 1.40am [local time].
“The responding crew treated a male patient who had an above the elbow amputation of his upper right extremity. Bystanders applied a tourniquet to the patient before we arrived."
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