A man in South Carolina jumped on the back of a 10-foot alligator to save his girlfriend's pet dog as it was being dragged into a lake, according to a Local 6 News report.

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Brent Carey said he was at a park in Charleston with his girlfriend and her dog, Chance, when an alligator jumped out of the water and started to drag Chance into the lake.

Carey jumped on the alligator, grabbed it near the back legs and began to fight to free the dog.

"I could almost grab him and I thought I'm going to die right now, and Chance is probably already dead," Carey said.

The dog was finally released and it ran to the shore.

"I can't close my eyes without seeing that gator over Chance's head -- it's awful," Chance's owner Jessica Turner said.

Carey received minor injuries on his arms and legs during the attack.

The Department of Natural Resources shot and killed the alligator shortly after the incident.

"They informed me that I should not jump on the back of alligators," Carey said. "I agree with that. The take home message is not to jump on the back of a gator."

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.