8ft long alligator in Florida clamps down on 11yo boy’s arm. Then his father jumps in to pry open its mouth, but it only makes it worse

An 11-year-old boy from Pennsylvania lost his right hand after an alligator bit down on his arm during a family fishing trip in Florida, according to WESH. The incident reportedly happened at Nelson’s Fish Camp in Marion County, when Brodie Terry had just caught a fish and was releasing it back into the water. His father, who was said to be with him at the time, immediately tried to intervene, but the situation quickly became worse.

When the alligator latched onto Brodie’s arm, his father jumped on the animal and attempted to pry its mouth open, according to Andrew Wright, one of Brodie’s relatives who told WESH. The alligator then rolled, a natural defensive movement, and the force of that roll broke nearly every bone in the boy’s lower arm and severed part of his hand, Wright said. 

Brodie was reportedly rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed multiple surgeries before ultimately amputating his right hand. Wright said that the lost hand was Brodie’s dominant hand, the one he used to play football and baseball. “Everything that he knew, doing everything with his right hand … [he] can’t do that anymore,” Wright said. “Physically and emotionally, it’s going to be a very long road for him.”

The family says they were aware alligators were in the area, but none appeared to pose a threat before the attack

Wright also revealed that both Brodie and his father had seen alligators in the water before the attack. “They did see alligators in the area. Nothing that was close to them at all, and nothing that was of concern to them,” he said. The family was said to be visiting Florida from Pennsylvania at the time.

Wright said that the attack came without warning. “The gator came out of nowhere. They didn’t ever see it,” he said. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), cited by WESH, they later captured and killed the alligator believed to have been involved in the attack. According to the commission, the animal measured 8 feet and 7 inches in length. 

Another relative, Andrew Raines, told WKMG that doctors carried out several surgeries in an attempt to save Brodie’s hand before the amputation. Brodie was reportedly discharged from the hospital the following Friday and has since returned home to Pennsylvania. His family told WESH that he was in good spirits and was seen smiling in a photo taken after his release.

The FWC confirmed the alligator was killed as part of their response to the reported incident. A similar dispute involved a Florida man who sued after an alligator encounter ended with an alleged chomped face.

Brodie’s family launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover costs tied to his recovery. As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser had raised over $19,000. “Brodie’s passion for fishing, baseball and football have always brought him joy, and now he faces the challenge of adapting to his new circumstances while holding onto the things he loves,” the fundraiser read. 

The family described the attack as a “life-altering event” in the campaign. According to WPEC, the attack on Brodie was the third reported alligator incident in roughly three days in Florida. The day before Brodie was attacked, a 71-year-old man reported that an alligator dragged him into the water while he was fishing behind his home in North Fort Myers. 

Days before Brodie’s attack, a 31-year-old woman was reportedly killed by an alligator in the Econlockhatchee River in Seminole County. In another case, an alligator completely ripped off a woman’s arm in a Florida state forest while her boyfriend struggled to help.