Alligator still had sneaker in mouth after attacking man

LAKELAND, Fla. – A nearly 10-foot (3-meter) alligator that attacked a man in Florida still had his sneaker in its mouth when it was roped ashore.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Brian Bruchey says the alligator attacked the man’s foot near a lake in Lakeland, Florida, on Monday. Bruchey says the man was taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure. He was not seriously injured.

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission found the alligator at the lake in a retirement community. The man’s sneaker came out of the reptile’s mouth as it was removed from the lake.