Florida man attacked by alligator while playing catch near pond

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said alligators can be in any body of water in all 67 Florida counties. While attacks are rare, they do happen.

A normal game of catch turned into a nightmare for Samuel Ray when he was attacked by an alligator from a pond.

"It was about a foot away from the water," said Ray. "And then as soon as I put my hand on the ball, I bent over and picked it up. That's when I saw the gator's eye. It lunged out, and it was so fast, it was like a lightning strike."

Before he knew it, the gator clamped down on Ray's hand like a vice. His shoulder was dislocated and he was waist-deep in the water. Ray acted quickly on pure adrenaline.

"I just knew that I had one second and socked him as hard as I could so that he would release my hand," Ray said.

The gator released him. He crawled out of the water and cried out for his family to call 911.

While he suffered a detached nerve and a lot of blood loss, after three surgeries, his hand is intact.

"It's painful, but I am able to move my hand," Ray said. "I'm lucky to have a hand, I'm lucky to have an arm. I'm lucky to be alive."

Adam Brown, a Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesperson, said encounters with alligators like this are not normal. He suspects the alligator may have been fed.

"When you start to feed to an alligator, it loses that natural wariness of humans and maybe even associates it with food and maybe acts in a little more of an aggressive manner," Brown explained.

Brown said alligators are more visible during mating season and during warmer weather.

"During spring and summertime, you will see them a lot more active," Brown said. "They will be on the move from pond to pond looking for prey as well as looking for mates."

While FWC reports show an uptick in conflicts with alligators on the Suncoast this year, Brown said he believes it's due to the influx of population.

"The population has grown, the habitat is shrinking, and the number of alligators is the same," Brown said.

If you ever find yourself in a rare situation like Ray's, Brown said always fight back.

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"Go for the sensitive areas, the eyes or the snout of that alligator," Brown said. "And let him know that you are the alpha and that this is not a typical prey item that he's going after."