STAR-BANNER (Ocala, Florida) 11 July 06 Alligator bites teen fisherman (Millard K. Ives)
Florida Highlands: A Dunnellon teen fishing in a shallow, swampy area of the Florida Highlands was bitten by an alligator late Monday afternoon.
Christopher Muller, 14, was driven by family members to West Marion Community Hospital with two deep puncture wounds in his upper left arm, according to a spokeswoman with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Muller was transferred Monday night to Ocala Regional Medical Center, where he received antibiotics. His injury was non-life threatening, and he was not expected to lose his arm. "He's doing pretty good," said Bridget Foley, a neighbor, who was outside the emergency room.
Muller was fishing with two friends at Square Pond about 5 p.m. He believed he had a fish on his line and reached into the water to grab it when a 4-foot to 6-foot alligator broke the surface and clamped down on his arm. The alligator did not hang on, but let go and swam off.
FWC Officer Kat Kelley said the gator probably thought Muller was a fish or piece of meat and let go when it realized its mistake.
The area is a 20-foot-wide expanse of shallow water, with plenty of fish flopping around. Kelley said the animal did not live there but probably was passing through looking for food.
A trapper contacted by wildlife officials Monday night set a baited hook of beef lung and planned to stay overnight in the swamp looking for the gator.
This is the second time in two months an alligator attacked a person in Marion County. An alligator attacked and killed 23-year-old Annmarie Campbell in Juniper Creek in mid May, as she was snorkeling with friends. Gators attacked and killed two other Florida residents in recent months, and an alligator that wandered into a residential area of The Villages last month was trapped and destroyed by authorities.
The unprovoked bite rate of alligators is about one bite for every 2.4 million residents, Kelley said. She said about 7,000 nuisance alligators are trapped in Florida every year.
Alligator bites teen fisherman