Alligator captured after seriously injuring man near pond in Sanibel

An alligator was captured in a Sanibel pond Thursday afternoon after the reptile seriously injured a man working on the island.

According to the City of Sanibel, the Sanibel Police Department received a 911 call just after 11 a.m. about an adult man who an alligator had bitten in a pond adjacent to Bailey’s General Store at 2477 Periwinkle Way. When officers arrived, they learned the victim had been using the pond to wash his hands the alligator bit him. The victim was able to free himself and call 911, while people at the scene were able to apply a tourniquet until medical assistance arrived.

The man sustained a serious injury to his right forearm and was transported to an area hospital for treatment by Lee County EMS.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived at the scene with a trapper and captured the alligator around 2 p.m.

They trapped the alligator with meat, lassoed it, and took the animal away.

That is the fate of this well-known gator, who spent his days in the pond next to Bailey’s Market on Sanibel.

“He was by the water’s edge where the gator is known to be, and the gator reached up and grabbed his arm,” said Dr. Benjamin Abo.

Sanibel fire’s medical director, Dr. Benjamin Abo, said the alligator attacked a man who was washing his hands in the pond and bit him on his arm.

“On his arm was a pretty deep tear on his flesh of his arm there,” said Abo.

Dr. Abo says a tourniquet helped stop the bleeding until firefighters arrived.

“The man was sitting there with a temporary tourniquet which is one of the things that saved his life,” Abo said.

After paramedics took the man to the hospital, FWC trappers came and took the gator away.

Dr. Abo said this is another example of why you need to be careful when you’re near water. “The biggest thing is to understand what can happen, and the best thing would be to prevent it, so to be careful near the water’s edge, especially brackish water.”

The man can keep his arm, thanks to the fire crews getting to him as fast as they did.