We all wonder how we would react in a life-threatening moment. Will we freeze up? Will we leap to action and do what needs to be done? Often, these situations can only be talked about as “ifs.” Even in talking about them, we only understand what we think we will do, not what we’ll actually do.
One Florida man doesn’t have to wonder how his “stress response” is in a dire moment – he just lived it out.
If Florida is known for two things, it’s crazy people and gators. Thankfully, this story has both of those. Richard Wilbanks had a new puppy and loved to take him to a field near his house to play. While playing in the field, something incredible happened.
Luckily, the entire event was captured by a wildlife camera!
The original moment happened on October 25, 2020, but the video has recently hit social media and is blowing up. In the short video, we see a man, Richard, already waist-deep in water. In a few moments, the scene becomes clear. Richard has a gator in his hands and is wrestling it to the surface!
The gator appears to be around 3-4 feet long – plenty big to take out a puppy.
When the gator surfaces in the hands of Richard, the full reality of what’s going on sets in. The alligator has Richard’s puppy in its jaws. Struggling to the shore, Richard grunts with the exertion of fighting the scaly muscle of the reptile.
Finally, Richard reaches into the jaws of the alligator and pries them open.
Like a strong-man of old, he pries open nature’s strongest bite and sets his little pup free on the grass. With a few yelps, the little dog scampers off away from the shoreline and appears to make it away with its life. All we see at the end of the video is Richard holding the gator in his hands, probably realizing how much of a bad-ass he just was.
A news channel reached out to Richard after they saw the video and got his take.
In the interview, Richard said that the gator “came out like a missile” and grabbed his pup. When the moment happened, he didn’t think, just reacted.
“They’re like children to us, so there was no second thought whatsoever” – WINK News
Neither dog nor man came away from the moment unscathed.
If you tango with a gator, you might get bit! Gunnar, his little dog, came away alive and healthy, although he did have a puncture wound from the teeth. As for Richard, he was a bit more chewed up. Sticking your hands in an alligator’s mouth is sure to hurt, no matter how noble the intentions. Since that moment, Richard reported that Gunner is a bit more cations around water!
Can we advise jumping in after a carnivorous predator for your dog?
No, of course we can’t. Do we understand WHY he did it? Absolutely. Your pets are as much a part of the family as anyone else. Sometimes love requires sacrifice and a quick reaction – at least in Richards’s case! Also, have your dog on a leash when near gators.
Check out the video below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
