Gator Chomps Golfer

VENICE, Fla. — "A Tennessee man survived an attack by an alligator while retrieving a golf ball at a Florida golf course Monday.

Bruce Burger, of Lenore City, Tenn., reached into a pond at the sixth hole of Lake Venice Golf Club Monday afternoon when the alligator apparently grabbed his right forearm Course Manager Rod Parry told FOXNews.com.

“He didn’t see the gator,” Parry said. “Obviously, the gator reacted to what he probably thought was some kind of food.”

The alligator latched onto Burger's right forearm and pulled him in the pond, said Gary Morse, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He used his left arm to beat on the reptile until it freed him.

Parry said the man reportedly called for help and a lady came, got in his golf cart and took him to the clubhouse.

Burger had puncture wounds on his right forearm as well as a strained groin from the attack. Parry said when medical personnel arrived, Burger was placed on a gurney and transported to a local hospital.

"We hope he’s doing pretty well,” he told FOXNews.com.

Morse said the gator measured 10 feet, 11 inches.

Parry said it took officers around an hour and 20 minutes to bait the gator before taking him away. He was unsure if the gator was one-eyed, but did say he was told it was blind in one eye.

Parry said course employees recalled another time when a golfer had been attacked on the course. The golfer’s shoe was punctured when an alligator bit his foot while retrieving a ball at the same pond where Burger was bitten.

The pond at the sixth hole has a "Beware of Alligator" sign posted because the staff is aware that a large alligator likes to hang out there.

"Unfortunately, that's part of Florida," Parry said. "There's wildlife in these ponds."

Since the reptile only injured a golfer I'm not all that upset. Nature has a way of evening things out. But not allowing the caddies to be armed with a 12 gauge is ludicrous.

Wildlife my ass. When dangerous animals aren't shot dead on the spot something is rotten in Denmark.