Alligator claws man as it swims through his legs in Mississippi reservoir, officials say
A man walked away with minor injuries after being clawed in an “incidental” encounter with an alligator at a waterfront park on Friday, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
Officials said the man was out for a swim with friends at Ross Barnett Reservoir at Lakeshore Park when he suffered three scratches to his leg, the Associated Press reported. No other injuries were reported.
The group left the water after spotting the gator earlier in the day but got back in once they thought the animal was gone, officials told the outlet.
It wasn’t. Instead, the gator hid under a nearby pier, MDWFP’s alligator program coordinator Ricky Flynt told McClatchy News.
The “attack” was initially reported as a bite, but after an investigation, department officials determined it wasn’t, Flynt said. He said the animal was likely trying to escape from under the pier and swam between the man’s legs, getting “tangled up and, in the process, thrashed around scratched him on the leg.”
The swimmer was OK, but officials encouraged him to seek immediate medical attention due to “very dangerous bacteria that can be associated with” gator bites and scratches, Flynt told McClatchy.
“If it had been a bite they would be closer together,” he said of the man’s injuries, according to the Jackson Clarion Ledger. “And there would be marks from the top and bottom jaws. We’re describing it as incidental contact with scratches.”
Flynt said several other alligators had been removed from the area earlier this month, the newspaper reported.
Officials said the alligator that scratched the swimmer measured about 4 feet, 7 inches long, local wildlife officials told McClatchy News. The animal was captured later that night and euthanized.
The swimming area has since been reopened.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 11:38 AM with the headline "Alligator claws man as it swims through his legs in Mississippi reservoir, officials say."