Florida Golfer Escapes After Alligator Attack

At Lake Ashton G&CC, the 75-year-old man was grabbed by a 9-foot, 190-lb. gator when he went to recover his ball from a pond. He survived after being let go, but needed 40 stitches to close a 10-inch gash in his leg.  

A Florida golfer got a lucky escape after he was grabbed by a 9-foot (2.7-meter) alligator as he went to recover his ball, reports FoxSports.com

Albert Miller, 75, was set upon by the reptile in late April at Lake Ashton Golf and Country Club in Lake Wales, Fla., FoxSports reported, citing a report in The Ledger newspaper of Lakeland, Fla. on April 30.

Miller was playing golf with three friends when he hit a bad shot on the 15th hole and went to collect his ball from a pond.

As he turned to leave, the alligator launched itself out of the water and sank its teeth into Miller’s left knee. His friends rushed to his aid and clung on to his arms as the animal thrashed wildly and attempted to pull him into the water.

“He let me go,” Miller said. “I was three feet from my life. He had me submerged up to my belt buckle. That was my miracle of the month.”

The senior citizen required 40 stitches to close a 10-inch (25 centimeter) cut and two other wounds.

“He just filleted me,” Miller said. “You could see into the bone.”

Gary Morse, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said trappers then captured the alligator. It weighed approximately 190 pounds (86 kilograms).

Investigators also discovered another 6-foot (1.83-meter) alligator in the pond. The captured alligator, they said, had been illegally fed.

Tags: Albert Miller Alligator attack Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Gary Morse Lake Ashton Golf and Country Club Lake Wales Fla.