South Florida Father Fights Off Alligator To Save Son
BOYNTON BEACH, Florida -- On April 19, 2013, at about 1:30 p.m., six-year-old Joey Welch was
attacked by an alligator after falling into shallow water at the edge of
the Refuge Lee Road boat ramp on the L-40 canal at the A.R.M. Loxahatchee
National Wildlife Refuge just west of Boynton Beach, Florida.
The child’s father, Joseph Welch of Pompano Beach, Fla., and bystanders
successfully forced the animal to release the child by hitting and kicking
the alligator.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officials say that the child sustained minor injuries (cuts and bruises) to his right arm,
shoulder, and chest and was taken by his father to Holy Cross Hospital in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he received antibiotics and was released.
The father had a bruised his right hand from punching the alligator.
Operating in the interest of public safety, Florida Fish & Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC)
licensed trappers were dispatched to the scene. The 8-foot long nuisance
alligator was captured and killed according to standard operating
procedures.
“We are extremely relieved the child made it out of this potentially deadly
incident with only minor injuries,” said Rolf Olson, Acting Project Leader
of Loxahatchee and Hobe Sound NWR. “This really could have ended very
badly. We thank the members of the public who saw this happening and
selflessly rushed in to do the right thing.”
“It is a stark reminder that we all have to be careful with animals like
alligators,” said
Olsen. “They deserve a healthy respect. We encourage all our visitors to
be very careful around alligators.”
The refuge is located off U.S. 441/SR 7, two miles south of SR 804 (Boynton
Beach Blvd.) and
three miles north of SR 806 (Delray Beach’s Atlantic Avenue). The refuge
is currently open
from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days a week. Refuge hours change
seasonally and are posted
at each entrance.
The Visitor Center hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,
seven days a week. An
entrance fee of $5.00 per vehicle or $1.00 per pedestrian is charged. A
variety of annual passes,
including a $12.00 refuge specific annual pass, are available. Please
visit the refuge website at
http://www.fws.gov/Loxahatchee or call the Administration Office at (561)
732-3684.