Wild footage shows a powerful alligator named Darth Gator snapping hold of its handler and yanking her into the water at a kids’ party.
Lindsay Bull, 31, the US handler from Scales & Tails in Utah, was filmed Saturday entering an enclosed tank to feed the eight-and-a-half-foot (2.6-metre) animal as young kids and their parents stood watching from inches away.
As soon as she entered, the 70kg reptile appeared to try to leave the enclosed area, then violently snapped down on the woman’s left hand as she tried to push him back.
“Hey, we got trouble here!” one of the parents yelled out as Lindsay was pulled into the water and spun around as Darth Gator performed a so-called “death roll”.
Despite the clear danger, 48-year-old newlywed Donnie Wiseman leapt into action within seconds, again yelling out, “Hey, we got trouble!”
He then jumped into the water and onto the back of the gator, pinning it down to stop it further rolling or thrashing around at the five-year-old’s birthday party at the suburban Salt Lake City attraction.
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As kids at the party cried in terror, Donnie continued to lie on Darth Gator and control its movements, as Lindsay calmly gave instructions as another parent tried to help free her arm.
More than 90 seconds into the ordeal, Darth Gator started thrashing around again — with Lindsay managing to free her hand in the struggle, and another partygoer, Todd Christopher, quickly pulling her to safety.
“What do I do?” Donnie as he remained on top of the powerful gator.
Following Lindsay’s instructions, Donnie finally managed to run out of the penned-in tank, more than two-and-a-half minutes after the gator snapped down on his handler.
Lindsay was rushed to a hospital for surgery, but said in a Facebook update that it “should result in full use of my hand”.
She told the Today show from her hospital bed Tuesday that the gator “really bit down”.
“And that’s when I realised, OK, this is gonna be serious,” she told the NBC show — calling Donnie “a hero”.
Donnie — who was with his stepson and new wife — told KUTV he assumed police would have had to come and shoot the alligator had they not been able to escape.
“Once I knew things were under control and EMTs were coming, I went out and smoked a cigarette, honestly,” he said.
Scales & Tails Utah called it the “sort of event that we hope never happens”, even with the “inherent risks that we as the staff accept”.
“These gentlemen could have stayed in the safety zone as most of us would, but instead jumped into the situation, of their own volition, and helped secure the alligator,” the attraction said of the parents’ “heroism”.
Owner Shane Richins told KSL, “We never expect someone to jump in like that, but we’re super grateful they did. They probably saved her arm and possibly her life.”
This article originally appeared on NY Post and was reproduced with permission
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