Florida Man Bitten By Alligator After Falling Off Trail

A mountain biker in Florida has been bitten by an alligator after falling off his bike on a trail, WPTV reports.

The unidentified man was riding at Halpatiokee Regional Park at around 11am on Monday. He fell off a wooden bridge and down a six foot embankment into a small body of water where he was bitten by the reptile on the leg.

Charlie Shannon was walking his dog nearby and was able to lift the biker out with the help of another man. He then used his dog lead as a tourniquet until help arrived. He said, "He had a lot of marks all over his leg, but mainly in the upper thigh. He was hanging on roots like five feet below, it was hard to get him out."

The 8 foot, 170-pound alligator was later caught by a trapper, John Davidson, who will take it to a nearby farm. He said, "She was sitting 10 feet off the bank when I showed up. That leads me to believe that she was a female and sitting on a nest somewhere close. So we'll attempt to rescue the babies if we can." This gator was the third he had picked up on Monday and he explained they are extra aggressive around this time of year. However, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told WPTV that serious injuries caused by alligators are rare and if anyone encounters a nuisance gator, they should call 866-FWC-GATOR.

The man was airlifted to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute and is said to have serious injuries. We wish him the best in his recovery and hope he is back on the bike soon.