10-foot gator bites 23-year-old’s arm off in Gulf Cove

On Sunday morning, a 10-foot alligator bit off a 23-year-old man’s arm after he got into a pond behind a bar in Gulf Cove.

Manny Hidalgo was one of the men braving the gator-infested water to save the man who was getting attacked.

“The reason why he was struggling is because he was trying to swim with one arm,” Hidalgo said.

Mark Christenson has lived near Banditos for years and told WINK News it’s not exactly a secret that gators are in the water.

“We’ve seen gators back here, and we hear ’em croaking,” Christenson said. “There’s a bunch of cattails and reeds in the back that are run down. And that means gators. So there’s been a big boy back here for a while.”

Ron Williams says he was at Banditos Bar around 1:45 a.m., just before the bar closed.

“We heard screaming. I just so happened to walk out on the porch. About the same time… a group of people came running up in a panic, you can see it on their face, and said, ‘Somebody’s got their arm bit off,'” Williams said. “And we’re trying to figure out what to do to help, but apparently, they already dragged him out of the water and called for help. And they showed up pretty quick and got him out. Got him somewhere and Medivac him.”

The alligator was captured after the attack.