Triathlete Jonathan Bruney Escapes Alligator Attack, Targeting Eye to Break 13-Foot Predator's Grip
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 25
Triathlete Jonathan Bruney Escapes Alligator Attack, Targeting Eye to Break 13-Foot Predator's Grip
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 25
Summary
31-year-old triathlete Jonathan Bruney said he escaped an alligator attack during a Sunday training swim in the Savannah River by jamming his thumb into the animal’s eye.
Bruney first thought he had hit a log, then felt severe pain as the alligator clamped onto his right arm; he said he acted quickly to avoid a potentially devastating death roll.
A fellow triathlete and first responder, Matthew Davis, used a cord from Bruney’s swim buoy as a makeshift tourniquet until emergency crews took him to a hospital.
Doctors found the arm injuries treatable and not long-term, and Bruney said he still plans to compete in an Ironman triathlon next month.
The attack came as wildlife officials separately said a 13-foot alligator was harvested from the area of another recent deadly attack involving a 31-year-old woman.