An elderly man from Florida has been praised for saving his puppy from being eaten by a small alligator. According to NBC News, Richard Wilbanks at the time was enjoying his free time before hearing his newly adopted puppy, Gunner, bark.
The 74-year-old man was shocked to see a crocodile in his backyard pond in Lee County had pulled the dog into the water.
He responds quickly and jumps into the pool to catch and open the crocodile’s jaw until his dog can escape. The video is believed to have been recorded by CCTV and uploaded to social media until it went viral.
“It was just a shock, it happened so fast,” Willbanks said.
“Instinct just took over and adrenaline kicked in and I just went right into the water after the gator and Gunner,” he added.
He also suffered several minor injuries as a result of the incident and his dog is also in good condition. Interestingly, Willbanks’ action also got attention because he was able to keep smoking cigars while rescuing his dog.
Source: NBC News, Washington Examiner