A cyclist has been attacked by an alligator in Florida.
The man was riding his bike on Monday around 11am in Halpatiokee Regional Park, when an accident sent him into the water, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said.
The cyclist was seriously injured after the alligator, about 9 feet long, grabbed him and bit him after he fell down an embankment.
Man seriously injured after being bit by an alligator at Halpatiokee Park in Stuart. Victim fell off of his bike and said he was attacked. First responders on are the scene now. pic.twitter.com/41d07hpZIT
— MartinCountySheriff (@MartinFLSheriff) July 19, 2021
According to NBC affiliate WPTV of West Palm Beach, the bicyclist is an experienced rider who lost control on a curve.
“He slid out and the water is literally a couple of feet away and he went right into the water, and just as bad luck would be, the gator was right there," said Scott Lorraine with the Airborne Mountain Bike Club.
The injured bicyclist was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital, the sheriff’s office said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission said it’s rare for an alligator to cause serious harm in the state.
Trapper John Davidson, who managed to capture the alligator, told WPTV the animal will be relocated.
"She was sitting 10 feet off the bank when I showed up," he said.
"That leads me to believe that she was a female and sitting on a nest somewhere close. So we’ll attempt to rescue the babies if we can."
Last year there were 12 incidents of alligators biting people in Florida, according to the Florida Wildlife Commission. None of them were fatal.
