DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) – A Florida man bitten by an alligator is now speaking out. That homeowner wasn’t expecting to see a scaly visitor on his doorstep, but he is grateful to be alive and for the help from 911 dispatchers.
Scott Hollingsworth heard something outside his front door on Saturday night and when he went to inspect it, he could not believe what would happen next.
“Went outside and didn’t turn the light on and just got a step outside and something grabbed me on the leg, started shaking violently,” he recalled.
He thought it was a dog, but it was an alligator.
“[The gator] was 6 feet or 7 feet. I really didn’t get a good look at it,” said Hollingsworth. “When I saw what it was, I stepped back into the house and closed the door, looked down and I had a large gash on the side of my leg. I was trying to put pressure on it.”
The family said they were later told by wildlife officials this alligator was more like 9 feet long.
Dispatchers talked Hollingsworth and his wife through what to do next as they waited for help to arrive.
“Make sure he remains calm with the bleeding, just like I said, just use a clean, dry cloth and apply pressure directly over the bite,” said a 911 dispatcher over the phone.
Bodycam footage showed the gator hiding by the patio.
“Oh, there he is. He’s laying by the front door,” said an officer on the video footage.
“Fortunately, there’s no damage to my knee, which I was concerned about, so everything’s going well,” said Hollingsworth. “I probably won’t be biking anytime soon.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife officials said the alligator was caught and killed by a trapper, which is standard protocol when they attack humans.
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