A Florida guy was captured on camera leaping into a pond to save his 3-month-old puppy from an alligator. This video went viral very quickly.
Richard Wilbanks, age 74, was standing outside his home when he heard his new dog, Gunner, whimpering. When he went after his dog, he saw an alligator in his backyard pounce on it and drag it into the pond.
Wilbanks asserted that everything transpired so rapidly that he was briefly paralyzed and the only thing on his mind was that his dog was in danger and required his assistance. Wilbanks dashed into the water, seized the alligator, and pulled its mouth open so that Gunner, a 3-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, could escape. Louise Wilbanks found out about her husband’s encounter with the small alligator only after Wilbanks and Gunner returned home covered in blood.
Wilbanks stated in an interview that he received only a few cuts and a tetanus injection, although his dog sustained only a little cut on his abdomen and was otherwise healthy. Wilbanks was only able to capture the encounter because he was a participant in a program that permits people who live near wilderness to allow specific organizations to place cameras on their property to record wildlife. As soon as these organizations learned about the occurrence, they removed the alligator from Wilbanks’ backyard promptly.
People who viewed the video could not help but notice that Wilbanks managed to maintain his cigarette lit throughout his fight with the alligator. To prevent another incident similar to this from occurring again, Wilbanks promised to never let his dog off leash again. Although alligators rarely cause significant injuries, authorities warn that people should never relax their vigilance.
In case of an emergency, they should always maintain a safe distance from alligators and contact authorities.
Source: 11Alive