WATCH: Man battles massive alligator with bare feet and a stick; here's the shocking result
In the middle of a week filled with viral challenges and social media stunts, a very real, very risky moment from Florida has taken center stage online. While timelines were buzzing with debates over hypothetical matchups like '100 men vs. a gorilla,' one man was out on a highway, face-to-face with an actual wild alligator– and he was barefoot.
The jaw-dropping incident happened on a busy part of Interstate 95 near Jacksonville, where drivers were stunned to spot a large alligator moving dangerously between lanes. What followed wasn't a call to animal control– it was a direct intervention by a man who didn't wait for backup, and the entire moment was caught on video.
According to a report presented by the Indian Express, the man in the viral video is
Mike Dragich
, a Marine veteran and MMA fighter known on social media for dealing with wild animals in Florida. In the clip, he's seen wearing camo clothes and no shoes as he carefully uses a long pole to move the alligator away from the road.
The alligator swings its tail and snaps its jaws, but Dragich stays calm. With cars zooming past, he keeps his focus, finally climbing onto the alligator's back and quickly holding its jaws shut. It's a tense but impressive moment.
According to the Indian Express report, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office later confirmed the incident with a post that quickly grabbed attention, stating: 'If you were cruising down I-95/I-295 on the Southside yesterday and thought you saw a barefoot man wrestling a giant alligator in the median– nope, your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. That happened.'
Watch the video here:
According to officials, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Highway Patrol, and a licensed alligator trapper also responded to the scene. Once Dragich had the animal under control, authorities helped move it safely off the road and into a transport vehicle, the media report suggests.
According to the report, Dragich is no stranger to such situations. Known on social media as the 'Blue Collar Brawler,' he frequently shares videos of himself catching and relocating wild alligators across Florida, often without wearing shoes. His hands-on approach and calm demeanor have earned him a large following and respect among locals who have witnessed his rescues firsthand.
As the alligator is loaded into the back of a pickup truck, someone in the video says, 'Never in my wildest dreams,' while the alligator wrangler laughs. It's a moment that shows both relief and surprise from those watching.
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