An elderly fisherman in Florida has survived a near-fatal alligator attack that left him with deep bite wounds on his leg.
James Grayson McMicken, 71, was fishing in a canal behind his home in North Fort Myers on July 3 when the attack happened, according to local news reports.
He had gone to the local spot with his bulldog but had barely had the chance to cast his fishing rod into the water before the alligator struck.
‘I started reeling and it jumped out of the water and grabbed me,’ he said, adding that it was only quick thinking which saved him from being pulled in.
‘I stuck my thumb in one eye, and I just took that fishing pole and jabbed him in the other eye and jabbed him and jabbed him and jabbed him,’ he explained.
‘It seemed like forever, but it wasn’t that long. But then, he turned loose,’ he added.
McMicken credited his quick thinking with saving his life, saying he had heard that if you have no other choice, get the alligator's eyes.
The attack left McMicken with deep bite wounds on his right leg, forcing him to rely on his dog to get to his feet and stagger home to get help.
After being treated for his wounds, which involved both stitches and staples in his injured leg, McMicken is now recovering at home while he waits to start physical therapy.
Despite his brush with death, McMicken hopes to return to his favourite hobby soon, insisting that no alligator will run him off.
The Florida resident's attack comes just days after a woman was tragically killed by an alligator in Seminole County, Florida.
Brittany Clark, 31, died after wading into the Econlockhatchee River in Little Big Econ state forest, around 25 miles north-east of Orlando.
The three were three feet deep in the water when an alligator bit her arms, tearing off one and catastrophically mauling the other.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission called the incident ‘incredibly tragic’.
According to their records, as of 2026 only 32 of the recorded alligator attacks in Florida proved fatal.
However, the Commission warned that there is some risk when you swim in the state, which is home to around 1.3 million alligators.
‘Every body of water could have the potential to have an alligator,’ a Commission spokesperson said.
An 11-year-old boy on holiday with his father in Florida was also bitten on the hand by an alligator while fishing, losing a hand in the attack.
Despite these recent incidents, alligator attacks on humans in Florida remain comparatively rare.
