A man survived for three days in a swamp after an alligator bit off his arm while swimming in a lake.
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Eric Merda,43, said the incident happened in July when he stopped at Lake Manatee Fish Camp to throw away the trash. However, the pit stop caused him to get lost in the woods, and he spotted his truck across the lake and then jumped in. Merda said he jumped into the water thinking he could reach his vehicle quickly when an alligator grabbed him by the arm and tried to drag him underwater three times.
After the alligator stopped its attack, Merda was left to fend for himself in the swamp. “It’s do or die. Do you want to live or die. I was given the opportunity to make a chance, and I decided to live. With a bone poking out a lot of pain the whole three days I was screaming at the top of my lungs, he explained to Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
“There’s no way that this is real, My arm is gone. I don’t have an arm anymore. There’s no way. I have to be dreaming or something.”
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However, Merda was rescued three days later and was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Doctors amputated his arm due to the severity of his injuries. Despite the amputation, Merda feels a new sense of purpose due to his survival and wants to become a motivational speaker.
“I’m thriving. I’m actually thriving. I’m going up, and I’m not coming back down. I came out the swamp, naked, with one arm. I was reborn for a reason and I believe that is to motivate people.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife said they captured the alligator a day after Merda’s attack and removed it from the lake. There have been 22 alligator bite accidents reported to officials as of this year and many of the attacks are unprovoked.