A South Carolina man barely survived an alligator attack. After the animal bit his arm, it pulled the diver down about 50 feet. After the dramatic incident, Will Georgitis told a local newspaper how he managed to escape the reptile.
“I was sure I was going to die,” Georgitis told The Post and Courier of the moment he fought for his life with the animal on April 15. The man was looking for fossilized shark teeth in the Cooper River and had just surfaced because his oxygen tank was almost empty. When he reached the surface of the water, he saw an alligator swimming towards him.
A counterattack with a screwdriver failed
Fearing being bitten in the head, he blocked the attack with his right arm. The animal eventually bit his forearm and dragged him to the bottom of the river, pinning him to the bottom with its weight. Georgitis eventually stabbed the reptile – he had a screwdriver with him to pry fossils from the riverbed, which he could now use as a weapon. But the alligator wouldn’t let him go.
When the air in his oxygen tank finally ran out, the man had already taken his own life. But he wanted to make one last attempt to free himself – even if it meant tearing off his own arm. He braced himself with both feet on the alligator and pushed off as hard as he could.
Wounds closed with “a ton” of staples
“Somehow I tore my arm out, but didn’t tear it off,” Georgitis told broadcaster ABC, wondering why he was still able to save the arm. He then swam to a friend’s waiting boat, which took him to a hospital. It took “a ton” of staples to close the wounds caused by the alligator’s teeth, the victim said.
The man now faces numerous surgeries and a months-long recovery process. But the American happily accepts that. “From now on, every moment will be a blessing for me,” Georgitis said.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
