LAKELAND, Fla. – A nearly 10-foot alligator that attacked an 85-year-old man in Florida still had his sneaker in its mouth when it was roped ashore.
Polk County Sheriff's Office spokesman Brian Bruchey said the alligator attacked the man's foot Monday near a lake in Lakeland.
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Bruchey said the man was taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure. He was not seriously injured.
Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found the alligator at the lake in a retirement community.
The man's sneaker came out of the reptile's mouth as it was removed from the lake, officials said.
On Wednesday, the Polk County Sheriff's Office posted an update on Twitter showing the deputies who responded to the attack visiting the man in the hospital.
Deputies said they were glad the man survived the attack and wished him a speedy recovery.
The deputies who responded a gator attack in #Lakeland (worked by @MyFWC) visited Mr. George Ihle in the hospital to see how he's doing. We are SO happy that he survived that attack! We wish him a speedy recovery. Thanks FWC for nabbing the culprit! #NoSuchThingAsARoutineCall pic.twitter.com/9Ayb7dNY4m
— Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) December 5, 2018