A Utah man was praised for his quick wits and bravery when he jumped in to rescue a zoo handler who was suddenly bitten and dragged by an alligator named "Darth Gator" at a petting zoo during a children's birthday party.
The resident was identified as Donnie Wiseman who was visiting the Scales and Tails petting zoo located in West Valley, Utah on Saturday. The man encountered the eight-foot-long alligator "Darth Gator" during the birthday party for a five-year-old child.
Horrific Alligator Attack
The victim was identified to be Lindsay Bull and was the gator's handler during the event, and was seen on video opening the door to the animal's enclosure to feed it. The reptile was in a small pool and suddenly bit the employee's hand and refused to let go, dragging her to the middle of the cage.
In an interview, Bull said she immediately realized that the animal was about to do its iconic "death roll" that could have snapped off her arm if she did not roll with the creature. Before the gator could do another role, Wiseman immediately jumped into the enclosure and held the creature down, USA Today reported.
Wiseman later revealed he was scared when he approached and held the alligator down, but said that Bull's calm demeanor allowed him to relax. The handler asked the man to talk to her as he was holding the gator down, waiting for it to release Bull's hand.
Bull said that while she has not watched the video of what happened, she believes her hand slipped away, and the alligator bit it in a feeding response. She said the situation was going as usual before she was pulled in by the gator, CNN reported.
The 150-pound American alligator eventually let go of the handler's hand and another person at the scene, Todd Christopher, was able to pull Bull away from the enclosure. Shortly before Wiseman got off the creature's back, it thrashed around trying to throw him off its back.
Heroic Actions
Bull's wounds were treated by Christopher's wife, who had a nursing background. They performed first aid while waiting for the EMTs to arrive at the scene. Medical experts revealed that the handler suffered tendon damage and that the animal had chipped her wrist and hand bones.
On Saturday, doctors operated on Bull's hand and put her on aggressive antibiotic treatment to prevent potential infection. They said she would have to undergo physical therapy but is expected to regain full use of her hand.
Officials from the Scales and Tails petting zoo called the incident a "sort of event that we hope never happens." They said that they did not want their worst expectations to become reality despite the inherent risks that staff accept in their line of work.
The owner of the establishment, Shane Richins, said the two men had the option to stay completely safe by keeping themselves away from the enclosure and the animal. However, their decision to come in and rescue Bull was considered heroism, the New York Post reported.
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