Man Whose Hand Was Bitten Off By Gator Charged
EVERGLADES CITY (AP) - A southwest Florida airboat captain whose hand was bit off by a 9-foot alligator has been charged with unlawful feeding of a gator.
Wallace Weatherholt, 63, was booked into the Collier County jail Friday and was released on $1,000 bond. His next court date is Aug. 22.
Weatherhold was attacked on June 12th as he was giving an Indiana family a tour of the Everglades. The family said Weatherholt hung a fish over the side of the boat and had his hand at the water's surface when the alligator attacked.
Wildlife officers tracked and euthanized the gator. Weatherholt's hand was found but could not be reattached.
A criminal investigation followed. Feeding alligators is a second-degree misdemeanor.
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