Little Boy Quietly Fishing with His Dad When Huge Alligator Suddenly Rushes Out of the Water

Fishing in your own backyard can be a daunting task sometimes, especially if you reside in Florida, where the population of alligators exceeds more than one million.

A viral video shared by a father on Facebook shows an alligator stealing a fish from his little boy, who jumped back alarmingly. While the kid remained unscathed in this case, there can be cases where children may not be so fortunate to survive.

The man from Florida was busy filming his 7-year-old boy, Dawson, while he was fishing in their family's Palm Coast backyard in Florida. In the short video clip, the little boy can be seen trying his hands at fishing until he starts to reel in his catch.

ALLIGATOR IN THE BACKYARD

However, seconds later, a giant alligator rushed out of the water, grabbing Dawson's catch and leaving him absolutely stunned. Dad Sean McMahon shared the shocking incident in a short video on Facebook, adding a befitting caption that read:

"**Alligator Alert** Dawson caught a bass tonight and out of nowhere an alligator came up, Ate the bass and ripped his pole into the water (sic)."

Before leaving, the huge gator even takes away the child's fishing pole, then turns around and finally disappears into the water's depths.

The father can be heard cheering on his little boy in the video clip, saying, "It's all right, buddy. Keep going. You got it." Dawson seems like a determined young kid who continues to struggle with the fish before dragging it out of the water.

Experts say that whenever someone spots an alligator, it's best to run as fast as possible in a straight line.

At the same time, Sean calls his son a "fighter" for not giving up until he's successfully found his catch. However, the alligator's shocking entry ruins all the fun, startling the little boy who jumps back. His dad can be heard screaming, "Oh my God."

NETIZENS REACT

Fortunately, nobody was hurt or injured during the wild and shocking incident, which has grabbed the attention of several netizens online.

While some people are glad the boy was unscathed, others can't help but feel awe-struck over the alarming incident. One user commented: "Dad didn't seem too surprised, zoomed in pretty quick too. Luckily his kid wasn't dragged in (sic)."

Another one added: "...and this is why you teach them to stay away from the waters edge. Good boy for dropping that pole and running. That was a smaller gator but still big enough (sic)."

DEADLY ALLIGATOR ATTACK

People are not always lucky to survive an encounter with giant creatures like alligators and crocodiles. A 2-year-old boy in Nebraska was caught by an alligator and dragged into the water at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Bay Lake, Florida, in June 2016.

The tragic incident occurred when the boy was busy playing in the water at Disney's Seven Seas Lagoon at 9 pm. The 4 to 7-feet-long gator did not give the little boy any room to escape.

Knowing how to protect yourself against dangerous creatures like alligators is highly critical for people of all ages. According to Wildlife Experts, people should avoid feeding alligators because luring them in can prove fatal.

People with kids are advised to steer clear of waters during dark hours of the night. Also, practicing caution during their nesting season (June-July) is highly recommended. Experts say that whenever someone spots an alligator, it's best to run as fast as possible in a straight line.

When encountering an alligator, it's advised to fight with all of your strength. Attacking them on their most vulnerable areas, like their snout, or jabbing them in their eyes are also ways of ensuring your survival against the giant creature.