Drone footage shows moment man survives attack by '12-foot' alligator

Footage shows Mr La Verde's run-in with the "12-foot" reptile

Drone footage filmed from above a lake in Florida shows the moment a man survived an alligator attack.

Juan Carlos La Verde, a firefighter and paramedic, was swimming in Lake Thonotosassa when he was attacked by the reptile.In a web post by his adventure company, Defeat X, Mr La Verde said the alligator was around 12 feet long.

"When the teeth clamped down I instantly realised it was a gator. My entire head and upper chest were inside of her mouth. Then she bit down and I felt the teeth pierce my flesh. There was a loud popping sound, then instinct took over," he said.

He said his friend, who was filming content for Defeat X, inadvertently caught the action on camera.

"Somehow I was able to grab the tip of her snout and pull. She chomped down again and I felt teeth pierce my skull," Mr La Verde said.

"We did a full 360...Once we were upside down she let go, maybe because my hands were inside her mouth and she’d never experienced that before."

Once free of the alligator, Mr La Verde said he swam to the nearest dock, where a "Good Samaritan" called the emergency services.

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He then arrived at Tampa General Hospital, where he underwent six hours of surgery for multiple skull and jaw fractures.

A Gofundme set up by a colleague for Mr La Verde said he was discharged on August 12 after spending eight days in hospital.

He was then readmitted after passing out and hitting his head, but he is currently recovering back at home again.

Since his attack, La Verde has posted videos of his recovery journey onto his YouTube channel. In the clips, he is wearing a protective "shield" on his head.