An avid young baseball fan from Pennsylvania experienced a horrifying ordeal during a fishing trip when he lost his hand in a brutal alligator attack. Despite his father’s desperate attempts to save him, the incident unfolded tragically as the alligator performed a notorious death roll.
Eleven-year-old Brodie Terry was enjoying a fishing outing at Nelson’s Fish Camp in Marion County, Florida, on June 27. As he was about to release a catch back into the water, the frightening attack occurred, according to WKMG reports.
An eight-foot, seven-inch alligator suddenly latched onto Brodie’s hand, inciting a desperate and swift response from those nearby.
“Brodie’s father leaped into the water, attempting to pry open the gator’s mouth,” recounted family member Andrew Raines to WKMG.
Raines further explained that the alligator then executed a roll, which ultimately led to the tragic loss of Brodie’s hand.
Gators perform the maneuver, known as a roll, to drown and tear apart their prey.
Doctors desperately tried to save Brodie’s hand before it was later amputated. He was released from the hospital Friday and is recovering back in his native Pennsylvania.
The alligator involved in the attack was later killed by Florida wildlife officials.
“This tragic accident has not only changed Brodie’s life but has also placed a tremendous burden on his family as they navigate the aftermath,” his family say.
“Brodie’s passion for fishing, baseball and football have always brought him joy, and now he faces the challenge of adapting to his new circumstances while holding onto the things he loves.”
Florida is home to around 1.3 million gators – and the state has recorded more than 450 attacks since 1948.
But just over 30 of those have proved to be fatal, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission revealed.
The day after Brodie was attacked, Florida hiker Brittany Clark died after a gator chomped down on her arm and twisted into a death roll.
She died en-route to a hospital as a result of the “multiple blunt force injuries of the upper extremities” she suffered.
Clark was only swimming in around three feet of water in the Econlockhatchee River when she was attacked at Little Big Econ State Forest.