Trent Tweddale, a former Army staff sergeant, and his dog Loki, were out for a walk at his Wesley Chapel farm in Pasco County, Florida, when an alligator came out of nowhere and attacked Loki.
The 13-foot alligator jumped out of the marsh and grabbed Loki by his arm before dragging him back into the water.
Tweddale immediately grabbed his dog’s collar to pull him back out of the water, but the gator wouldn’t let go. At this point, Tweddale knew he had no choice but to fight the alligator off, or else he would lose his beloved pup.
Tweddale jumped knee-deep into the water and began punching the gator’s head until he eventually let go of Loki.
He only receive a few minor injuries from punching the gator, but Loki wasn’t so lucky. He was rushed to the vet and underwent emergency surgery on his front arm, which was hanging by a shred with the bones sticking out.
Vets were able to reconstruct his arm using metal plates and screws, and they hope he will be able to walk normally after he recovers.
In the meantime, Tweddale set a trap for the gator on his property, with help from Florida Fish and Wildlife, to prevent this from happening again to him or someone else.
Here the story in the video below: