A man in the Tampa Bay area has shared drone footage of the moment an alligator chomped down on his head while he was taking a swim in Lake Thonotosassa.
Juan Carlos La Verde, a 34-year-old firefighter & US Air Force veteran, is seen on the video swimming when the alligator quickly started swimming straight at him, shot straight out of the water, and got ahold of La Verde's head.
As a result of the adult alligator biting down on his skull, La Verde was rushed to Tampa General and learned that he had part of his skull crushed and suffered a broken jaw. According to the New York Post, he underwent a six-hour surgery to repair the damage to his skull and jaw, after which he was transferred to the ICU.
As a result of the adult alligator biting down on his skull, La Verde was rushed to Tampa General and learned that he had part of his skull crushed and suffered a broken jaw. According to the New York Post, he underwent a six-hour surgery to repair the damage to his skull and jaw, after which he was transferred to the ICU.
The latest update, as of Tuesday, was posted to Facebook by Juan Carlos' wife, Christine.
There is now a GoFundMe to help pay for La Verde's surgeries that has generated more than $50,000.