Man loses part of leg in alligator attack at Florida RV park

A man lost part of his leg Friday in an alligator attack at an RV park in Florida, officials said.

Brevard County Fire Rescue officials said the 72-year-old man's leg was "amputated" by the gator below his right knee, CBS affiliate WKMG-TV reported. The man, who was not identified, was airlifted to a trauma center, but his condition was not known.

The attack happened at a retention pond Friday afternoon at Great Outdoors RV Nature & Golf Resort in Titusville, the station reported.

According to a dispatch call obtained by WKMG-TV, the gator went back underwater following the attack.

"Per the caller, we have confirmed amputation," the dispatcher can be heard saying.

Two gators were subsequently removed, but it's not known whether either of the pair caught had attacked the man, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Fire officials said it's not yet known what led to the attack.

Wildlife officials also said Friday that alligators are typically more visible and active during spring and summer, the station reported.

This marks at least the third time a person has been attacked by an alligator in Florida in the past two months.

Last month in Daytona Beach, a gator lunged at a man after he opened his front door and bit his upper thigh. In February, an 85-year-old woman was killed by a 10-foot alligator in Fort Pierce, while she was walking her dog in a retirement community.

State wildlife officials say over the past decade, Florida has averaged eight unprovoked bites per year that are serious enough to require professional medical treatment. 

In:
• Florida
• Alligator