MELBOURNE, Fla. — Trappers have pulled two alligators out of a river near where a homeless man was attacked Monday morning, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
One of the animals was trapped Monday night and the other on Tuesday morning, officials said.
The 56-year-old man was bitten in the shoulder by an alligator while he was swimming in the water near a bridge at U.S. 1 and Crane Creek, police said.
The attack was reported at about 9:15 a.m. Monday.
A community response team from the Melbourne Police Department heard him screaming.
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Melbourne police Cmdr. Dan Lynch said the "alligator came up and grabbed" the man.
"The individual who was on the bank said he was on the water and had hit him ... he crawled up on the riverbank, and that's where the officers found him screaming for help," Lynch said.
WATCH: Raw: Witnesses saw man attacked by gator
Lynch said that when officers found him, the man had a number of deep punctures along his shoulder. He was conscious, but in pain, when medics arrived to take him to the hospital.
“I saw a man (lying) over there and he had a giant gash in his back,” said paddleboarder Logan Sheppard. “And I saw a gator about 100 yards this way.”
Fisherman Bob Demanko said he saw the alligator's head, and it was a very large animal.
"I estimate him to be like 10 to 12 (feet)," he said.
Alligator attacks in the area are rare, Lynch said.
"We have not had any gator bites at this location in a long time," he said.
The attack victim is in stable condition, police said.
Officials said that if it is found, the gator will be euthanized.
On #WFTVatNoon: @MelbournePolice and @MyFWC on scene of gator attack. Man bitten in shoulder near Promenade Park. pic.twitter.com/riiDTvrOFP
— Melonie Holt (@MHoltWFTV) September 19, 2016
“I think we need to get rid of them. He could have easily flipped me on my paddleboard and bit me or flipped me, or killed me even. It’s kind of scary,” Sheppard said.
“Our agency likes to preserve our national resources, but in the event of something like this, to protect public safety and prevent it from happening again, there are some times we have to dispatch an alligator,” said FWC spokesman Chad Weber.
DNA and bite impressions from the captured alligators were being compared to the victim’s injuries to determine which, if either, of the captured animals was involved in Monday’s attack.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cox Media Group
