EVERGLADES CITY — A 63-year-old airboat captain lost his left hand when an alligator bit it off, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The victim’s name is Wallace Weatherholt of Captain Doug's Everglades Tours on State Road 29.
FWC officials said a criminal investigation is pending. Feeding alligators is a second-degree misdemeanor.
POSTED EARLIER
POSTED EARLIER
An Everglades City airboat captain lost his hand Tuesday afternoon when an alligator bit it off, according to a state wildlife official.
The airboat captain was taken to a Naples hospital following the attack, said Carli Segelson, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wildlife officials tracked the alligator, retrieved the hand from its stomach and brought it to the hospital, she said.
The alligator was euthanized following the attack, which was reported around 3:45 p.m., said another spokesman, Jorge Pino.
Officials did not publicly identify the captain, but NBC-2 reported he was an employee of Captain Doug’s Everglades Tours on State Road 29.
The TV station on Tuesday showed video footage of a Captain Doug’s airboat captain taunting an alligator with food during a tour last week, although it was not clear if it was the same employee. Efforts to reach Captain Doug’s for comment were unsuccessful Tuesday.
Segelson, the wildlife official, said she did not know if anyone else was in the boat at the time of the bite and had no other details Tuesday night.
Tuesday’s attack wasn’t the first time a Collier County resident lost a hand or a limb to an alligator.
In July of 2010, an alligator bit off the left hand of Tim Delano, then 18, as he was playing in a swimming hole off Alligator Alley near Everglades Boulevard. Delano later was fitted with a hook and a prosthetic hand but told the Daily News later that year that he mostly avoids using it.
More recently, 90-year-old Margaret Webb lost her left leg below the knee in August after being attacked by an alligator while she stood in the front yard of her Copeland home.
Father/Son look-alike contest at…
Collier County - Fugitive Warrants…
Naples Paddle Fest
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 82
HapE2B writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
np writes:
Good photo, which tells all. Gator says, "Don't bully me ".
native_at_heart writes:
"Segelson did not know if anyone else was in the boat at the time of the bite and said she had no other details Monday night."
Since this happened Tuesday afternoon, I don't imagine they had any other details Monday night.
chokoluskee writes:
Go Gators !
Bigkondorsback (Inactive) writes:
This idiot was obviously too close to the gator. So they kill the gator to get the hand.
BlueManMao writes:
The Gator didn't jump in the boat and bite the "Captain's" hand off. He was either messing with it or showing off his Gator handling "skills" to a boatload of tourists.
You don't mess with Gators, especially during Mating season, and I'm from the Bronx and even I know that.
RIP to the Super-sized-chillin-minding his own business Lizard.
Hollywoody writes:
This outfit has been teasing Gatorade with fish for a long time. They bang the side of the boat and dangle fish above the Gatorade!
Capt Doug is a prime offender. Serves them right. Should not have killed the Gator! Even Dr Frankenstein cant sew that bacteria infested hand back on successfully.
Hollywoody writes:
Gator was being changed to gatoraid... I fixed it... sorry.
Hands off to this idiot...your going to have to use the other hand. Gators have been around long before humans and will be around long after..
Hollywoody writes:
At least the tourists got their money worth...cant wait for the video.
airboatboy writes:
"HEY, WATCH THIS!!!"
osamaisdead writes:
You have to hand it to those air-boat captains, they really do provide a jaw-dropping experience.
Naples74 writes:
Tourists don't need to see alligators being fed to keep their interest. Alligators in the wild are plenty interesting to look at even when left alone, not to mention feeding and handling them is illegal. I hope the captain heals up ok, but this sorry buddy, you did this to yourself.
JunkYardDog_1 (Inactive) writes:
The lyrics to Amos Moses come to mind.
swampbuggy writes:
LOL I wonder where the Lou-siana sheriff went to?
Beachtowel writes:
I feel for the captain. No animal is worth any harm to a human being.
Carrot_Stick writes:
RIP Alligator
I am sorry you had to die because of human stupidity and greed. We are a stupid species that loves to exploit everything imaginable just to make a little more money.
Many of these air boat operators break the law daily. A good citizen would report them and then choose tour companies that do follow the law and that do protect the sustainability of their business. We should support businesses that operate ethically and lawfully. Unfortunately that does not happen very often in Florida. So why should we be surprised when things like this happen?
giggles0621#258831 writes:
I KNOW THE CAPTAIN WELL! HE IS A VERY GOOD MAN, HE STOOD BY US EVERY DAY OF THE SADEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES, WATCHING OUR MOTHER DIE! DO NOT ABUSE HIS CHARACTER, I AM SURE YOU ALL HAVE MADE SOME VERY BAD MISTAKES IN YOUR OWN LIVES! GOD BLESS YOU, WE ARE PRAYING FOR YOU!
osamaisdead writes:
Did she get eaten by an alligator too?
Bigkondorsback (Inactive) writes:
The CAPS LOCK key is on the left side of the keyboard.
Bigkondorsback (Inactive) writes:
On that note, get the wonderful captain a one handed keyboard. Just google "keyboards for idiots molesting wildlife for a few bucks."
okay writes:
Please. He DESERVED IT. What, are you tired of watching videos of baby bunnies being smashed by Asian girls? Haven't tortured enough stray animals lately? Try talking to a therapist for your deep rooted hatred of animals and your grandiose view of human beings. There's medication for your problem.
wentfishn writes:
Go swamp people , is it something in the water?
Edgar_J_Bloody_Watson writes:
Hope it wasen't his rudder hand.
swfl_ff writes:
"Bit off his arm clean up to the elbow".
Hope he recovers from his injuries.
wrightconnection writes:
This is just too funny! This idiot should have known better. I bet he won't do that again! Too bad the gator had to die because of this idiots stupidity.
wrightconnection writes:
You are kidding, right? This idiot was teasing this creature. The gator was doing what gators do. The "captain" was doing what idiots do.
JunkYardDog_1 (Inactive) writes:
The tourists have a good story to tell.
legalcitizen writes:
Funny stuff but true. Good post!
ecmom writes:
Um, yes, it's a gator...
angrytxpyr writes:
Got to "hand" it to the gator. It did prove with its life you should not bite the "hand" that feeds you!!!
HAP writes:
Karma, when you use our wildlife as your tourist tip. Shame on those hired to protect our wildlife to only kill. Better start fining these idiots out there abusing our wildlife!!
pipito writes:
"efforts to reach ... were not sucesseful" wow how rude, the man just lost a body part, give him some space. So what if he fed gators, Some people steal scrap metal, others stand on the street corner with a sign dancing all day till they faint, others have to drive garbage trucks, this man did what he had to do, give em some space and respect,
Beachtowel writes:
All you people are screwed up in the head who think animal life is somehow on the level of human life. Must be the same people who support planned parenthood.
Bramble writes:
It's illegal to feed alligators. If that's what this "captain" was doing, he should get a ticket.
Even after repeated warnings and citations, these airboat tour operators keep feeding the gators.
Is this the same outfit whose intoxicated "captain" plowed over another tour boat a few years ago, injuring and nearly killing several people?
sporttruck writes:
Nah...hand biting is done by the moocher class and Democrats. They like to reward failure.
Been_around writes:
Can't wait to hear the name of the Captain....I know one of them and he is a COMPLETE idiot.....
Been_around writes:
How can you claim it was a republican gator??? First of all, gators are a minority....and as a true minority democrat the gator merely took the hand out that was available at the time.....
QueBonita writes:
I feel a movie coming...and not from Disney.
Shaawe writes:
If I did not know better, I'd swear some of you people think it's stand up comedy audition hour. Such immaturity!
titanbite writes:
"Mommy,let's go on the boat with the one-handed captain,it looks like he knows how to get real close to those alligators!"
wrightconnection writes:
You need to read my reply again...I never said animal life is somehow on te level of human life. Where do you get that? The one who is screwed up in the head is the so called "captain" that was molesting gators. Planned parenthood has nothing to do with my reply or the article. Stay on the topic please. You mess with the gators head, you get the teeth. It's called common sense.
Hollywoody writes:
Beachtowel.
Its human ego that makes some idiots like you feel that human lives are somehow superior to animal life.
I hate to break it to you stupid...but we all go to the same place after we die. Just because we can read and write and build steel mills doesnt mean we go to some special afterlife that dogs and gators cant get into.... stupid.
NedLand writes:
Sic semper ignoramous.
joeblow writes:
Hey...shouldnt have been messing around with the thing then.
Z07 writes:
I'm betting you're a government employee.
Z07 writes:
Can we deduce that you'll be in the same place as Hitler, Stalin, Mao, John Wayne Gacy, etc. etc. when you die then?
stopthemadness writes:
Thanks Obama...even gators are looking for a HAND out....
alexia6ciula writes:
He must be fiding the gator and the gator tought the hand was food. why nobody listens to the rule not to feed wildlife.
alexia6ciula writes:
I totally agree.
People who feeds wildife and expecially alligators make those creatures dangerous for themself and other people who came across those creature no longer fearful of humans.
alexia6ciula writes:
I hate to brake the dreams but when we die " animals and human" We all go to the same place. DUST
Want to participate in the conversation? Become a subscriber today. Subscribers can read and comment on any story, anytime. Non-subscribers will only be able to view comments on select stories.