Gator Bites Captain's Hand Off, Man Faces Charges (VIDEO)
Wallace "Captain Wally" Weatherholt sustained a serious injury while giving a tour through the Florida Everglades. As Weatherholt dangled a fish over the side of the boat, hoping to lure alligators to the surface, one took advantage of the situation and bit Weatherholt's hand off.
Weatherholt was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, while authorities searched for the alligator. When it was finally found, they euthanized it and slit it open, removing Weatherholt's hand from its stomach. They then took the hand to the hospital with the hope of reattaching it to his arm, but doctors were unable to do so.
"It's dangerous and illegal to feed an alligator," Florida Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Carli Segelson said. "When alligators are fed, they overcome a natural fear of humans and they can learn to associate people as food," she told the Miami Herald.
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Weatherholt has been cited for violating the navigational rule of not feeding alligators. He could face a $500 fine and up to six months in jail for his actions. The company he works for, Captain Doug's Everglades Tours, has a known history of taunting alligators in order to attract interest.
Fortunately, Weatherholt has ben released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. Those on the tour, however, were left shaken after the ordeal.
"I was kind of freaked out about that because that's kind of weird," Sarah Goff told WCSH6.com. "You don't feed them. They can get used to that and get aggressive."
Florida's alligator population has been somewhat of a problem for local residents, with more and more homes being built on Everglades territory. However, alligators are not prone to attack, and the average number of unprovoked attacks is only five. The odds of being bitten while taunting an alligator, however, are significantly greater, especially when in their natural habitats.
Watch residents' reactions HERE:
