Man bitten trying to remove alligator outside Fla. home

ENGLEWOOD EAST, Fla. (WINK) - A man’s attempt to remove an alligator found at a Florida home led to him getting bitten on his arm.

Auzjia Dickerson was moving out of her house Tuesday morning when she found a 4-foot alligator under a U-Haul truck in the carport.

“At first, I kind of freaked because I didn’t know what to do,” she said.

She made a quick decision to get a neighbor who she knew would have the right tools to deal with the alligator.

“He’s a dog trainer. So, he came out with gloves and a sweatshirt, like he kind of knew what he was doing, but that gator was fast. He moved too fast. It just didn’t go well,” Dickerson said.

The alligator became agitated and clamped down on the man’s arm. Dickerson called 911, while other neighbors tried to help.

“Someone had a broomstick, and they used the broomstick to help pry open the gator’s mouth so he could get his arm out,” she said. “It was intense.”

The Florida Wildlife Commission confirms the man tried to remove the alligator himself and sustained injuries to his arm. The alligator was eventually relocated to a safer area.

“Stay away. They’re going to get you,” Dickerson said.

The FWC urges people concerned about alligators to call its toll-free hotline for a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to fix the problem.

Authorities say serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida.