Gator bites golf ball diver - Florida

[Caveeagle]

Wrong. I've known a couple of people who have survived attacks by large gators, including an elderly woman.

Also, what makes you think this was an accidental bite? That's ridiculous. Most likely, this was a female protecting a nest. Mating season just ended. I'll have to check.

I think you are validating my point.. If you know of a couple more example of people who were attacked by large gators and survived, It is plausible that said attack was not driven by natural prey drive. Either defending a nest, or just a reflex bite, that was not followed up by killing/eating the victim.

There was a snorkeler killed in Juniper springs a few years back. I spoke with a ranger on site just a few days after who told me the victim had swam past well market "so swimmer" signs, and that it was a case where the gator had a "reflex" when the swimmer came into the field of view and probably was mistaken for a prey animal. I was told, the gator did not follow up the attack, but unfortunately the initial bite was fatal.

My point was that there is very little evidence to suggest naturally behaving alligators will intentionally attack adult humans as prey. If they have been fed, or defending a nest.. is a different matter.

 

[seeker242]

Most likely, this was a female protecting a nest. Mating season just ended. I

Probably swam right up on it and surprised it. Golf ponds are not known for their great viz. I think 5' is considered great, lol.

 

[ReefGuy]

I think you are validating my point.. If you know of a couple more example of people who were attacked by large gators and survived, It is plausible that said attack was not driven by natural prey drive. Either defending a nest, or just a reflex bite, that was not followed up by killing/eating the victim.

There was a snorkeler killed in Juniper springs a few years back. I spoke with a ranger on site just a few days after who told me the victim had swam past well market "so swimmer" signs, and that it was a case where the gator had a "reflex" when the swimmer came into the field of view and probably was mistaken for a prey animal. I was told, the gator did not follow up the attack, but unfortunately the initial bite was fatal.

My point was that there is very little evidence to suggest naturally behaving alligators will intentionally attack adult humans as prey. If they have been fed, or defending a nest.. is a different matter.

If they have been fed, there's a LOT of evidence they will intentionally attack an adult human. Deliberately.

 

[ReefGuy]

Probably swam right up on it and surprised it. Golf ponds are not known for their great viz. I think 5' is considered great, lol.

Actually, this guy was in 0 vis. There's probably at least a foot of silt on the bottom of this pond, and if he was recovering golf balls, he was digging all through it.

While I haven't grabbed an alligator underwater, one of my teammates did. He thought it was the bumper of the car we were looking for and started to attach a float to it when it started swimming away.

 

[DiverDownD3]

I think I'd spend a winter on a crab boat in the Bering Sea before I'd spend a summer golf ball diving

 

[ReefGuy]

Three non-fatal alligator attacks in three days. The day after this attack, a lady was bitten in Lee County (just south of us), and the day after that, a kid was bitten in Arcadia (county west of us).