Florida man hears bump at door; 9-foot gator outside bites his leg

Author: CBS News Staff
Published: Updated:
Scot Hollingsworth, who was bitten by an alligator sitting outside his front door in Daytona Beach. Credit: CBS

A man was bitten on the leg by an unexpected visitor: an alligator waiting outside his door.

Daytona Beach resident Scot Hollingsworth was watching TV when he heard a bump at the door on March 4th.

“I jumped up and headed over and opened the door, stepped out while trying to reach the lights and barely got out the door and got my leg clamped on and (it) started shaking really violently,” he said.

The 56-year-old was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries to his thigh from the 9-foot gator.

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Floridians can anticipate seeing more alligators than usual as the weather warms up. The reptiles are also most active between dusk and dawn.

People should always keep a safe distance from gators, keep pets on a leash and swim only in designated areas during daylight hours. Also, never feed an alligator.

Florida is home to a total of around 1.3 million alligators, according to the commission’s website. The agency routinely euthanizes so-called “nuisance” gators 4 feet long or larger that threaten people or wildlife. The commission says relocated alligators will usually try to return to the site where they were captured and continue to create problems, so they must be euthanized or rehomed to zoos or wildlife rescues.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.