ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
A Gainesville man was bitten by an alligator Monday while he was swimming.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says James Albert Wimmer, 45, was in a small creek off SE 16th Avenue in Gainesville around 4:30 p.m., when a 9-foot-7-inch alligator bit his right shoulder, left forearm and his back.
FWC says two men from a nearby camp heard Wimmer calling for help and went to help him. Wimmer and the two men who helped him were able to safely return to shore.
Wimmer was transported Wimmer to Shands Hospital in Gainesville for treatment.
The State Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) issued a permit for a local alligator trapper to remove the animal. The trapper was able to catch and dispatch the alligator by 8 p.m. The animal was taken to the Gainesville Wildlife laboratory.
The FWC is investigating the incident.
