Man's hand gets caught in 12-foot gator's mouth

SOUTH FLORIDA — A volunteer alligator handler in south Florida had a close call when his hand got caught in the mouth of a large male gator.

Will Nace, 23, broke his arm and fractured his hand after the accident at the Native Village Wildlife Center in Hollywood.

"I definitely could've lost an arm. I felt the bones break," said Nace.

Nace was in the pit for a show with a 12-foot alligator named Lunge.

Nace said he was trying to put his fingers on the 1,000-pound reptile's nose as part of the show when he was attacked.

However, Nace said the incident didn't scare him away from doing what he loves.

"I'm not going to stop doing this. It's my life. Lunge is actually my favorite alligator there," said Nace.

Lunge will remain at the facility and will be used as a teaching tool on what not to do with alligators.

WFTV