James Grayson McMicken, 71, of North Fort Myers, Florida, survived a dangerous encounter with an alligator on June 26 when the reptile attacked him while he was fishing near his home. The alligator lunged from the canal, grabbed McMicken's leg, and pulled him into the water.
"I started reeling and it jumped out of the water and grabbed me," McMicken told WPEC. "He rolled me down off the bank into the water."
McMicken reported that he used his fishing pole and his thumb to poke the alligator in both eyes, which caused the animal to release its grip. "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 said. He recalled that his prior experience legally hunting alligators had taught him that attacking the eyes was a last resort to escape. "I’ve always heard that if you’ve got no other choice, get them eyes, and that’s what got him off of me," he explained.
After being released by the alligator, McMicken managed to get back to his house with the assistance of his bulldog. His wife provided initial aid, and he subsequently passed out from exhaustion. He was then taken to the hospital by his family, where he received staples and stitches for deep wounds on his right leg.
McMicken is now recovering at home and has started physical therapy, expressing a desire to fish again soon. A neighbor, Bob Schneider, told Gulf Coast News Now that the presence of the alligator in the area is unsettling. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has reportedly been attempting to trap the alligator.