A Louisiana man saved his young son from an alligator last weekend, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The boy was swimming in the shallow part of Bayou St. John in New Orleans when the 6-foot alligator bit his leg.
“I really feel he would have pulled him under, drowned the kid and killed him,” Capt. Stefan Schmidt of the New Orleans Fire Department said, according to Nola.com. “The dad jumped on the gator and was literally beating it, and it let go of his son.”
A Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agent responded to the scene, but by the time the Nuisance Alligator Hunter arrived, the alligator couldn’t be found. Officials are attempting to find it and remove it.
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Alligator seen in New Orelans in 2024. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
While the boy was swimming, others spotted the gator and tried to warn him, but he thought they were joking, the station reported.
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Alligators are common in the area, a resident said. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The boy was left with cuts and puncture wounds, but is expected to make a full recovery, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said.
Resident Casey Caldwell told WWL-TV that it’s common to see alligators in the area.
“If you stand still long enough, you’ll definitely spot one,” Caldwell told the station. “People should not be letting their kids or dogs swim in this bayou at all.”
New Orleans’ skyline is seen with Bayou St. John in the foreground. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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An alligator was spotted on Wednesday in the same area where the boy was attacked, WWL reported. It’s unclear if it was the same animal or another one.