A man opening his front door in Daytona Beach, Florida got a big surprise.
According to the Daytona Police Department, an alligator attacked a Florida man who opened his front door late at night after hearing noises coming from his porch.
The police press release stated that the incident occurred on Champions Drive in Daytona Beach on March 4 at approximately 9:42 p.m.
The victim survived the terrifying attack, according to Carrie McCallister, a spokesperson for the Daytona Beach Police Department.
The victim, Scott Hollingsworth, 56, opened the door and an alligator lunged at him, bit his upper thigh, and began violently shaking him.
Despite being cornered by the alligator, the resident was able to escape his home and call 911 while still inside. His injuries were treated at a nearby hospital and by first responders.
Responding officers discovered the alligator still resting at the front door and contacted Florida Fish and Wildlife officials, who then notified state-licensed trapper Curtis Lucas to capture the animal.
McCallister reported that the alligator moved from the front porch and retreated to a nearby trailer before the state trapper arrived.
According to trapper Lucas, the alligator measured approximately 7’10” in length. As is typical when animals attack people, he had to kill the reptile.
The terrifying event occurred in a neighborhood adjacent to a golf club with several ponds. Police suspect the ponds may have been the alligator’s home, as Hollingsworth’s family claimed to have seen alligators there in the past.
Hollingsworth later stated that his knee, which had been his primary concern following the incident, was thankfully unharmed.
Curtis Lucas cautioned that alligator mating season was rapidly approaching and that locals could expect to see them more often than usual in the open as they search for mates.