Two months after being attacked by an alligator that tore off his arm in a death roll, a man in Florida who survived for three days while stranded in the woods has spoken about his experience.
On July 17, Eric Merda, a 43-year-old resident of Sarasota, was killed by an alligator after he decided to go swimming at Lake Manatee Fish Camp located in Myakka City.
According to Merda, it turned out to not be the best choice a Florida boy could have made. He was being attacked by an alligator while swimming, and it grabbed his right forearm in its mouth.
To free his arm, Merda reached over and grabbed the animal. He claimed that after being pulled underwater three times, the alligator finally performed a death roll and swam away with his arm.
Alligator's Death Roll
A death roll is the name given to the rapid spinning maneuver The swift spinning action used by crocodilians, including alligators, to subdue and dismember prey is known as a death roll.
Alligators are common in Florida, where there are many of them. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) estimates that there are 1.3 million alligators in the state, and they live in every available wild area.
Thus, encounters and disputes between humans and alligators happen. According to the FWC, eight unprovoked alligator bites in Florida per year over the previous ten years have necessitated medical attention.
A total of 442 unprovoked bites were reported cases in the state between 1948 and 2021, 26 of which resulted in death. Merda was able to swim back to land and began to walk to seek assistance. He said he could see bones and muscles exposed as he described the horrifying condition of his arm.
He described how he spent three days attempting to escape the swamp. He decided to follow the sun as well as the power lines visible from his vantage point after feeling as though he was going around in circles.
Read also: Two Alligators Kill a Florida Woman After Falling Into Pond at a Golf Course
The "Rescue"
Merda claimed he eventually came across a man who asked him what he has been doing from the other side of a fence. He claimed a gator bit off his arm.
When he first approached Merda, the man who discovered him claimed he had no idea if he was alive or dead. And there is nothing; words cannot adequately convey it. He was in excruciating pain. Like someone calling for assistance. He was conversing with us and all that. He simply walked to the ambulance after they cut the fence and assisted him.
After being taken to the hospital, Merda had the majority of his right arm amputated.
Merda's family is now requesting financial support to aid in his transition to his new life. In a GoFundMe fundraising campaign, his aunt Evelyn James stated that Merda would no longer be able to do stuff he loved doing, including the work he loved doing.
James claimed that although Merda is still alive, they are incredibly grateful.
In a message to others, Merda advised others to exercise caution when near Florida waters. Gators shouldn't be fed, and instead of throwing rocks at them, people should leave them alone.
Merda expresses his gratitude for being alive, stating that he was given the choice to take a chance and chose to live, Newsweek reports.
Related article: Dwindling Population of Alligators, Crocodiles Throws Off Ecosystem Balance
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