A horrifying video has captured the moment an alligator chased and attacked a swimmer in Brazil. The incident took place Saturday at a forested spot with a lake that is popular with tourists. The Lago do Amor lake in Campo Grande, however, is off-limit for swimmers due to the presence of alligators, so when Willyan Caetano saw a man enter the prohibited waters, he began filming.
"A man entered the water around 4:40 pm and started swimming in the place, where entry is prohibited," he said.
His video shows the moment an alligator in the lake began chasing the unlucky swimmer. According to Mr Caetano, the man tried swimming faster in order to escape the oncoming reptile. Footage shows the gator making a beeline for the swimmer and attacking him. It managed to take a bite out of the swimmer's arm.
"Suddenly, to my surprise, an alligator starts chasing him. He tried to swim fast to get away, but the alligator managed to reach him and land a violent bite on the man's arm, who came out of the water with his arm all bloody and very scared, saying he didn't know there was an alligator," said Mr Caetano.
According to local reports, people called Mobile Emergency Care Service after the attack. The swimmer was unhurt except minor injuries to one of his arms.
According to Garapeira Marinalva da Silva, who has been running a sugarcane juice stand at Lago do Amor for the last five years, this is the first time that someone has entered the water to swim. The spot is well-known for the presence of alligators. "Sometimes, children go there, but then we tell them that there is an alligator and that it's dirty and they come back," she told local news website Campo Grande News.
It is believed that lack of signs warning swimmers to stay away from the water may have been responsible for the attack.
