A baseball-mad Pennsylvania schoolboy lost his hand in a savage alligator attack while on a fishing vacation – despite his dad’s best efforts to free him moments before it performed a terrifying roll.
Brodie Terry, 11, was attacked during the trip at Nelson’s Fish Camp, Marion County, Florida, on June 27, just about as he was to release a fish back into the water, WKMG reported.
The gator, which measured eight-feet, seven-inches, clamped its teeth into Brodie’s hand, sparking a frantic response.
“Brodie’s father jumped into the water on top of it and tried to pry his mouth open,” relative Andrew Raines told WKMG.
“The gator rolled, and that’s what ultimately severed Brodie’s hand.”
Gators perform the maneuver, known as a roll, to drown and tear apart their prey.
Doctors desperately tried to save Brodie’s hand before it was later amputated. He was released from the hospital Friday and is recovering back in his native Pennsylvania.
The alligator involved in the attack was later killed by Florida wildlife officials.
“This tragic accident has not only changed Brodie’s life but has also placed a tremendous burden on his family as they navigate the aftermath,” his family say.
“Brodie’s passion for fishing, baseball and football have always brought him joy, and now he faces the challenge of adapting to his new circumstances while holding onto the things he loves.”
Florida is home to around 1.3 million gators – and the state has recorded more than 450 attacks since 1948.
But just over 30 of those have proved to be fatal, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission revealed.
The day after Brodie was attacked, Florida hiker Brittany Clarkdied after a gator chomped down on her arm and twisted into a death roll.
She died en-route to a hospital as a result of the “multiple blunt force injuries of the upper extremities” she suffered.
Clark was only swimming in around three feet of water in the Econlockhatchee River when she was attacked at Little Big Econ State Forest.