Shocking Footage Shows Man With His Arm Ripped Off By A Gator

FORT MYERS, Fla. – An alligator attacked a man in Port Charlotte early Sunday morning, tearing off the man’s arm.

Jordan Rivera, 23, fell into a pond behind Banditos Bar off S. McCall Road near closing time. That’s when the gator attacked the Englewood man, biting off his right arm in the process.

“Those gators, I didn’t truly understand them until I woke up in the hospital and, ‘Oh, gator got your arm,” Rivera told NBC2 from his hospital bed in the ICU at Gulf Coast Medical Center.

Thirty-six hours after the attack, Rivera invited NBC2 to share his story of survival.

“I didn’t lose my life, I lost an arm, it’s not the end of the world, you know,” said Rivera.

It’s that attitude, that outlook on life, that stands out about Rivera. From his hospital bed, covered in wires, he’s counting his blessings while being remarkably optimistic.