Falling off your bike sucks.
I broke an arm falling off a bike as a kid once, and yeah, it sucked.
I imagine it sucks a whole lot more when you fall off your bike, get attacked by an alligator, and have to be airlifted to a trauma center though…
But that’s precisely what happened to 74 year old Robert Bassett earlier this week.
The man was riding his bike through Halpatiokee Regional Park in Stuart, Florida, when the attack occurred. He was airlifted to the Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce, with severe injuries.
The incident occurred at around 11 AM as the man rode his bike over a wooden bridge about a mile into the park, that’s where he lot control. He fell off the bike, slid down a 6-foot embankment and into a small creek, where he was immediately attacked. Once the gator let him go, he was able to crawl away before being aided by Charlie Shannon, who was walking his dog in the area.
“He went right into the water, and just as bad luck would be, the gator was right there.
He was hanging on roots like five feet below. It was hard to get him out.”
Shannon was able to use his dog leash as a tourniquet to help stop the bleeding. I hope he’s all right, and just to be able to get him out of the water and tie it off, I think that helped.”
The gator responsible for the attack was an 8-foot long female that weighed roughly 170-pounds. It was later captured alive at the park and moved to a less populated area. It is believed that she was guarding a nest, which prompted the attack. The eggs will also be relocated alongside the gator said John Davidson, a retired fireman and experienced gator trapper.
“You got to be careful when you’re around the water, especially this time of year.
The females are sitting on nests and are particularly aggressive.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers on the scene declined to comment on the incident, and Fire Rescue officials elected not to share additional information about where the man was bitten or how long the attack lasted.
However, witnesses to the attack said the man had abrasions all over his legs that were mostly concentrated on the upper thigh.
Florida never takes a day off…
