iStockphoto / Alex Pankratov
Will Georgitis is a fossil diver in South Carolina who was recently attacked by a massive alligator while diving the 50-foot deep Cooper River which flows past Charleston.
Not many people could honestly say that they would do anything to survive while being attacked by an animal but after hearing Will Georgitis tell his story, it’s clear that he was willing to do anything and everything to survive in that moment including stabbing the enormous alligator with a screwdriver as it was latched onto his arm and then trying to rip his own arm off to free himself during the alligator attack.
At home after the hospital and facing surgeries and 6+ months of recovery ahead, Will Georgitis spoke with the Post And Courier about his surreal experience and honestly, this is probably the second gnarliest survival story I’ve ever heard. The first is Carl Akeley who was the pioneer of taxidermy after he shoved his hand down the throat of an 80-pound leopard while being attacked in Africa in order to choke the leopard and survive, and later advanced taxidermy as a way to preserve the experience. This story is right up there with that:
Most Wild Alligator Attack Ever Told?
While diving for megalodon teeth and other shark’s teeth, Will Georgitis says he spotted the alligator swimming nearby when it made a beeline straight for him and clamped onto his arm. Alligators have a bite force of 2000 pounds per square inch which is the 5th strongest in the animal kingdom.
The river was up to 50 feet deep at the deepest part. After the gator latched onto him he bear hugged the alligator and wrapped his legs around it so it wouldn’t death roll and immediately rip his arm off. He had a screwdriver on him and attempted to stab the alligator in the eye.
The gator then plunged to the bottom of the river and put all of its bodyweight on top of him. He was unable to move. Thinking he was about to die. So, he did the only reasonable thing and tried to rip his own arm off!
Somehow, some way, his arm slipped through the alligator’s teeth and he was able to free himself by planting both of his feet on the alligator and pushing with all of his might. He’s 6’2″ by the way, a pretty big dude. It worked.
He freed himself and quickly made it to the surface where a friend in a boat quickly rushed him away to the hospital for immediate medical attention.
Georgitis suffered a broken bone in his arm, another dislocated bone, those required a metal plate and nine screws. But he survived!