May 23 – Florida Man Shrugs After Losing Hand in Alligator Attack

No one ever pees in ponds anymore … or if they do, they end up with significant injuries from camouflaging alligators. You’d be doomed if this happened at night or when you’re too tipsy to notice the predator giant lying under the water.

A Florida man was going about his life in a local bar called Banditos when he needed to use the restroom. However, his plans changed after the pressing need to visit the washroom was met by a long queue. This prompted him to go wherever he could find to relieve himself, which unfortunately was by an alligator-infested pond. Beneath the water lay a 10-foot gator that might have been hoping for a night’s meal.

Suddenly, Jordan Rivera found himself in the river, an event he couldn’t account for. The 23-year old tripped and fell by the gator-infested pond and before long, the giant reptile reached for his right hand. Fortunately, first responders from Charlotte’s County Sheriff’s Office came in to help, air-lifting the man for medical care. Rivera, who was unconscious by then was appalled upon waking up and realizing that he had lost his right arm.

However, he realized he was still alive and could do most things even without his right arm, and shrugly said, “It’s not the end of the world.” But to the 23-year-old’s mother, it was a miracle that her son was still alive after the deadly encounter and that the right people intervened at just the right time.

Locals had raised concerns about their safety with the alligator’s presence in the pond for years. However, as with any other legal system, the related authorities had to wait for a serious clarion call before eradicating the gator. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assigned a professional alligator trapper who helped seize the reptile and transfer it to areas with fewer human interactions.

See Also:

• Florida Man Stories – May 22
• Florida Man Chronicle – May 21
• Florida Man Report – May 20

May 23 – Florida Man Arrested After Trying to Cross The Atlantic Ocean To London In a Homemade Hamster Wheel

Among the many wild dreamers in the world, only a few chase their dreams and bring them to reality. And while many people across the world chase these dreams, Florida has been a popular place for people with the wildest dreams. We’re talking about venturing into the Atlantic Ocean in a human-powered hamster wheel and going miles into the waters. The Atlantic Ocean’s strategic location has allowed such many dreams to come true for Floridians, including bouts of launching luxurious cars into the waters.

In this case, a Florida man crafted a vessel resembling a hamster wheel and kickstarted his journey en route to London. The man who was 44 at the time decided to use this unique vessel and refused to give up, even after spending three days in the ocean.

Reza Baluchi, a marathon runner has always had a dream of getting to the other side of the ocean in his homemade hamster wheel, efforts of which have always been barred by the US Coast Guard. Even after doing it three times before, the man still came to the attention of the team when he was 70 miles (110 km) into the ocean. The sheer determination of a marathon runner transformed into wading through the ocean! The resilience and boldness to stay alone in a vulnerable vessel for three days are almost palpable.

Baluchi’s makeshift contraption resembled a big car wheel enhanced with wiring and buoys to help it stay afloat, a journey which the US Coast Guard rendered manifestly unsafe. Baluchi’s refusal to get off the contraption proved that he was either riding on his vessel or dying, even telling the guards he had a bomb with him. Besides, court papers show he had threatened to take away his life had the guards insisted that he get off the vessel.

However, the guards managed to convince the man back to a Court Guard base in Miami and later charged him with obstruction of boarding and violation of a Captain of the Court Order.

May 23 – Florida Man Holding Dolphin Out of Water Creates Sensation After Posting the Photos Online

It’s one thing to make a mistake and another to capture the act and post it to a world of critiques. A Florida man learned this the hard way after he captured photos of himself holding a dolphin out of water and posting them on social media. I mean, what response was he expecting? “The photos are cute”? “I’ve never seen a dolphin out of water”? or You need to make a video of how you captured the sea animal”?

While these thoughts must have resonated with several Floridians, many people thought he wasn’t right in removing the sea animal from its natural habitat. Well, it may take a few seconds to take a photo, but it takes a little longer to seize a dolphin and make it still for the camera.

The photos went around, being posted by multiple Instagram users, including a surfers’ account. That’s when a Floridian surfer and bartender Kevin Beaugrand saw them and was immediately concerned. While we all grew up knowing that sea animals have difficulty breathing when drawn out of the water, the man in the photo must have been selfish to want to make a memory while hurting the animal.

Animals that depend on buoyancy to breathe can die when removed from their natural habitat even for a short time. Beaugrand wanted to ensure the man in the photo became an example to society that such acts violated the Marine Mammals Protection Act. Marine Biologist Dr. Quinton White also assessed the pictures, concluding that the animal must have been hurt in the process. She also speculated that such animals would not be still as to be held like that unless they were sick. So, to add more stress on the animal by hindering its breathing is “really horrific,” said Quinton.

Dr. Quinton added that the chances of marine mammals surviving after being hoisted outside the water are minimal as much as the man might not have intended to kill it.