CHARLOTTE – A Florida man who lost an arm in an alligator attack a year ago said he’s adapting to his new way of life.
Jordan Rivera said he remembers being near a pond outside a bar in Port Charlotte. After that, he woke up in the hospital.
“It was just like a flash. And then I was in the hospital,” he said.
Witnesses called for help when they saw Rivera being attacked by the 10-foot gator, which was later caught by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation.
“For me to wake up, and for them to tell me I have no an arm and that an alligator had gotten me. I was like an alligator? The last thing I would have thought in the world,” said Rivera.
Rivera did not let the traumatic incident stop him from doing everyday things.
“I do pretty much most things most people do but maybe a different type of way,” said Rivera.
Rivera uses a special grip steering wheel and can still do tasks such as putting on a belt in less than a minute.
“I realize that I have one arm. But that doesn’t let me down. I don’t let anything hold me back. I wake up and it’s a new step for me,” said Rivera.
