Fort Myers woman shares alligator encounter after neighbor gets bitten

(WSVN) – A Florida man bit off more than he could chew, and so did an alligator, as he tried to save his neighbor from a wild encounter.

Auzjia Dickerson called for help after her encounter with the reptile.

“I’m here just moving out of my house, and there’s a gator in the carport,” said Dickerson. “I called 911.”

She spotted the alligator on Tuesday morning in Fort Myers, while moving out of her home.

“He was underneath a U-haul truck in a carport,” said Dickerson.

Dickerson quickly ran over to her neighbor who she knew would have the right tools.

“He’s a dog trainer, so he came out with like gloves and a sweatshirt like he kinda knew what he was doing, but that gator was fast. He moved too fast,” recalled Dickerson. “It just didn’t go well.”

The gator then latched onto her neighbor’s arm.

“Someone had a broomstick and they used the broomstick to help pry open the gator’s mouth so he could get his arm out,” Dickerson said.

Although it was a frightening encounter, Dickerson said the alligator “was like a neighborhood pet.”

The neighbor who was bitten is expected to be OK.

If you see an alligator in your area, call the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission hotline at 888-404-FWCC.

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