Gainesville man injured by alligator

Contact: Karen Parker, 386-758-0525

Gainesville man injured by alligator

A Gainesville man was bitten by an alligator Monday as he was swimming.

James Albert Wimmer (DOB 05/29/61) was in a small creek off SE 16th Avenue in Gainesville at 4:30 p.m., when a 9-foot-7-inch alligator bit his right shoulder, left forearm and his back, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers.

Two men from a nearby camp, Richard Humphrey and J.C. Goodwin, heard Wimmer calling for help and went to assist.

Wimmer was able to escape from the alligator with Goodwin’s aid. Both men returned to shore. Humphrey called for emergency services. Alachua EMS transported Wimmer to Shands Hospital in Gainesville for treatment.

The State Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) issued a permit for a local alligator trapper to remove the animal. The trapper was able to catch and dispatch the alligator by 8 p.m.

The animal was taken to the Gainesville Wildlife laboratory.

The FWC is investigating the incident.