[imagesource: YouTube / Defeat X Adventure Co.]

When I hear anything about an alligator attack, I instantly think of Florida.

In this case, that’s on the money.

34-year-old JC La Verde was swimming in Lake Thonotosassa, near Tampa, when the 12-foot (roughly 3,65-metre) alligator bit down on his torso and head.

Remarkably, the attack was captured by a drone operated by a work colleague. He had been filming that part of the lake for a promotional video for an adventure race.

La Verde told Sky News he grabbed the creature’s teeth, tongue, and snout and knew he was in for a battle:

Mr La Verde, a firefighter, said: “I was unable to see it (the alligator). I hit it directly with my head. It chopped me on my head, my scapula (shoulder blade), and my upper torso.”

He said the impact felt like “hitting a brick wall”.

He said: “I felt the scales, I felt the teeth. I knew immediately what I was in. There was no doubt where I was.”

In this scenario, the alligator would usually begin the ‘death roll’ –  a spinning manoeuvre to subdue and dismember prey involving rapid rotation and dragging the prey underwater.

But La Verde, who says he considers himself an “above average” swimmer, fought back:

You can see the same footage in this clip:

A US Air Force veteran currently serving as a firefighter and paramedic was preparing for an athletic competition when he was attacked in Lake by an alligator —-fracturing his skull, mandibles and disfiguring his face

This video captured by a drone shows how the attack occurred pic.twitter.com/SQHD33Nivc

— St.Gabriel Dunsworth (@DunswortGabriel) August 21, 2022

The firefighter said he reached into the animal’s mouth and didn’t let up:

He said there were two reasons why it let him go: “I didn’t become submissive, and I grabbed its snout and I was also playing with its inside of its mouth.”

Image: Sky News

“I was confused – but it was probably even more confused about what was going on, and probably about how quickly I did it.”

That’s certainly an interesting balloon choice.

La Verde spent 10 days in hospital and underwent extensive face and jaw reconstruction surgery, as well as a craniotomy.

He will still have to undergo further surgeries and will wear a helmet to protect the right side of his head.

[source:skynews]