TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida firefighter and paramedic is defying the odds after surviving a terrifying alligator attack that was caught on drone video — and now he’s calling his recovery nothing short of a miracle.
J.C. La Verde was filming an instructional video for his business in Lake Thonotosassa, just outside Tampa, when a 12-foot alligator came out of nowhere and clamped down on him in a shocking ambush.
The dramatic moment was captured by a drone hovering overhead. One second La Verde was swimming peacefully — the next, he was in the jaws of a massive predator.
“When I felt the teeth, I immediately knew,” La Verde recalled. “As I opened it, I knew either I turned it, or it turned me. We were both confused… and then it let go.”
Bleeding and in shock, he managed to swim to a nearby dock, pull himself out of the water, and flag down a good Samaritan who rushed him to the hospital. Remarkably, La Verde even called 911 himself.
“I wasn’t going to put extra stress on someone who’s already driving a bloody man,” he said. “If I can ease that load off of this lady…”
La Verde underwent an emergency six-hour surgery and now wears a helmet to protect the right side of his skull. Another surgery is still ahead, but he’s focused on gratitude and faith.
“If people want to see this any other way than a legit miracle, it’s silly,” he said. “I shouldn’t be alive.”
Sitting beside his wife, La Verde offered this powerful message:
“Find your God. Find Him. I know it’s scary, but life is scary. You can carry that load alone… or let someone help you carry it.”
