In Florida, everything is unusual but some are heroically dramatic.

We’ve all heard stories about the Florida Man, a character that was born from the unusual feats certain Floridians spend their time in.

But this time, a Florida Man did something heroic, albeit strange just the same. In a dramatic unfolding of events, Richard Wilbanks of Estero, wrestled with an alligator.

Wilbanks was hanging out by their backyard pond when everything turned into a nightmare.

“We were just out walking by the pond,” Wilbanks told CNN, “and it came out of the water like a missile.”

The attacker in question was an alligator the size of an average dog. The amphibian was so quick, it caught Gunner, Wilbank’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Without even thinking twice, Wilbank jumped into the water.

It’s a good thing the alligator wasn’t as big as those in the swamps or both their lives could’ve been in grave danger.

He picked up the alligator and carefully carried it to shore. On its mouth was the poor puppy trying its best to hold still.

Carrying the alligator was the easy part, though.

When they reach the shore, Wilbank pried the alligator’s mouth open. Alligators and crocodiles are notorious for their bite strength.

The jaws of these amphibians can snap close so hard it can break bones even of the largest animals. They also use this to drag their prey into the water.

Even Wilbank admitted that the task was “extremely hard”, but he had to do his best because Gunner is literally in the jaws of death.

Fortunately, the alligator let go.

Gunner suffered a puncture wound in his belly but was doing great after a visit to the veterinarian’s office. Wilbanks was wounded to, and described that his hands were “chewed up.” He got a tetanus shot as a precaution.

Wilbank also did the entire rescue with a cigar in his mouth. How many of us can even say we wrestled an alligator while smoking?

For his tenacity and bravery, Gunner became an honorary deputy.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office felt he was the perfect badge-holder for the Safety and Security Officer for Deputy Dogs.

Alligator and crocodile attacks, while terrifying, are also rare. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there are only 442 unprovoked incidents in the state from 1948 to 2021.

Despite what happened, Wlibanks insisted for the alligator be left alone.

He said that alligators, much like the trees and the pond itself, are part of nature and should be left alone.

He will still take Gunner out for walks, but this time, it’s on a leash, and about 10 feet away from the pond. As they say, the best defense is putting yourself in a situation with the least risk.

“We live on a shared landscape,” Meredith Budd of the wildlife federation told said, as quoted by CNN. “We don’t just want to tolerate wildlife, but, rather, we want to thrive with wildlife on a shared landscape.”

Watch how a Florida Man with a cigar wrestled an alligator to save his puppy.

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Source: YouTube – TODAY, CNN, CBS 12, National Geographic, Facebook – Lee County Sheriff’s Office