Alligator Hunter's Arms Crushed by Reptile Unexpectedly, Leaving Him With One Functional Arm

An alligator hunter gets the tables turned when the reptile lurched from the water to crush his arms. The predator was able to get away but managed to bite him.

The victim remembered how lucky he got. Instead of his arms being ripped off, his bones were crushed. But he said that the animal was just protecting itself.

After the episode in the water, the doctors were able to save his limbs that were subjected to the strong bite of the alligator.

Alligator goes ballistic literally into a boat

Carsten Keiffer, employed as a firefighter, was in Lake Jesup with his friend's hunting for gators when it happened, reported Press From.

The group was able to spot one in the water and hook the reptile to pull it in. However, it turned out to be a reversal of roles when the gator did something unexpected.

Not expecting what will follow next, the firefighter remarked in surprise how the animal they were trapping became desperate. He remarked it had lurched from the bottom to the top of the water like a rocket. It almost landed on the boat he was in.

What happened next gator assault!

Keiffer was interviewed by Newsweek where he said that it was trying to protect itself, because they may have wounded it. He said that it was just a protective reflex of the alligator. When the reptile lurched from the water to crush his arms, it was a complete surprise.

Launching into the air, the alligator caught its teeth on the boat's railings, it only got barely inside the boat. But somehow his arm got caught in the animal's jaws that was really bad.

The hunter recalled what happened in the last few seconds. His skin was partially ripped open. Next, he heard a chomp that crushed his bones and sinew.

His friends were frantic, and had to force open the tightly closed jaw, slamming a metal rod in the clamped down to pry it open. But when the firefighter's arm goes limp, it let go.

Keiffer mentioned that he thought of his career, and his future with his kids, who were 11 and 6 years old.

But while his arm was trapped by the powerful bite, he was thinking about how to let the alligator off without killing or hurting it. But though death was coming next, he cannot do anything else.

Surviving the attack

He is now excited about what he'll do at work, in his job for the last 11 years. Although with condition, it won't be easy after he survived with one arm left.

For treatment of his crushed arm, the doctors at Level One Trauma Center worked on saving him. For eleven days, the surgeons reconstructed his arm with two plates and many screws to hold the crushed limb.

Parts were replaced by getting bone marrow, a skin graft, and muscle to fix the damaged arm. Lastly, it was rehabbed after the accident. He woke up and survived with what was left of his arm.

One of his doctors at the medical center, Dr. Karan Desai specializes in hand and upper extremities said that it was his first time to deal with an animal-related injury, cited Web MD.