MARION COUNTY, Fla. — An 11-foot alligator attacked a man at a Marion County nature park Tuesday. Pete Butt, 55, was diving in the Silver Springs Nature Park when he was attacked just before 6:00pm.
SEE IMAGES: 11-Foot Gator Captured After Attacking Man
Investigators said the alligator bit down on the victim's head while he was testing water for the St. John's River Management District.
"When we arrived on scene, we found the patient with lacerations to the neck and he also had a broken jaw," said Miranda Iglesias of the Marion County Fire Department.
Butt was diving with a co-worker at the time, who heard the attack and came running to help. Butt was rushed to Shands Hospital in Gainesville in critical condition.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission showed up along with trappers, who found the gator and killed it. According to the FWC, the gator will be harvested for its meat and hide and then sold, which is policy for nuisance gators.
No visitors to the park, known for its rides and glass bottom boats, saw the attack because it happened in an area where visitors don't frequent.
WFTV
