Victim of Everglades National Park crocodile attack speaks out
MIAMI - A 68-year-old Miami man who was attacked and bitten by a crocodile this past weekend is speaking out, saying he is grateful he survived an encounter that could have been deadly.
Rodrigo Constain, a handyman from Miami who is a father of 4 and grandfather of 3 children, spoke to CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench from his hospital bed at Jackson South Medical Center.
Constain said, "Right now I feel good to be alive after the situation I went through. That's the most important thing. I am in pain but that doesn't matter because the experience was so hard. I just feel good to be here and to be alive. I thought the crocodile might take my life because I was swimming back to shore and he was still there."
He said, "I feel there is only one explanation for my being alive and that is God. He said he saved my life and he was with me. If I did not believe in God I would not have made it. Now I have a bandage covering my left leg. I can not walk right now. I am not sure how long I will be in the hospital."
He said it was just after 4:30 Sunday afternoon when his Sunfish capsized and as he was trying to upright it, the crocodile attacked him and latched on to his leg for 15 to 20 seconds at Everglades National Park in the Flamingo Marina.
He said, "I know my leg got stuck and I put my hand in his mouth and his mouth was long. That's how I know it was a crocodile. I didn't have the strength to open his mouth but he just opened his mouth and released my leg. When I was on shore and the park rangers were helping me, he was still swimming around."
A spokeswoman for Everglades National Park said, "We have an idea of which animal it is but the incident is still under investigation and we are not releasing any identifying information at this time. We are working with our partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wildlife Conservation Commission to evaluate the situation and follow the American Crocodile-Human Interaction Response Plan."