WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — (WESH/CNN) — A 13-year-old boy was hospitalized Tuesday after being bitten by an alligator in Central Florida.
Trappers were called to a section of Howell Creek in Winter Springs in Seminole County after the boy called 911.
"I can walk. I just got bit by a gator," the boy said to the 911 operator.
Despite being bitten by a gator, he remained calm.
"I'm OK, though. I can walk and I can stand. I'm fine. It just stings a little bit, but I'm good," the boy said to the 911 operator.
A neighbor who didn't wish to be identified said this has been a neighborhood concern.
"We see kids jumping into the creek all the time from just down the street, swimming around in the water, and it's a big concern for everybody in this community," the neighbor said.
A police report said the boy and some friends had been swimming and were getting out due to a storm.
"He was coming outside the water. He stated that the alligator came out of the water and bit him on the hip," Winter Springs police Capt. Doug Seely said.
When the dispatcher asked where the gator went, the caller stated, "I don't know. I got out of the water as fast as I could."
Howell Creek is a tributary of Lake Jesup, which is well known for having a large population of alligators.
"These waterways are pretty active. We're pretty busy in here," Jerry Flynn, a state nuisance alligator trapper, said.
Trappers were called Tuesday night and were back at the scene in the morning through midday.
"We set traps out here, and we spotted a gator this morning, and we went ahead to see if we could get him out of here," Flynn said. "So far we've been unsuccessful, but we still have traps set."
Police said the teen was doing well — all things considered.
"They treated him last night. He's in good spirits, and they're hoping to release him today," Seely said.
The trapping will continue.
"We don't quit. We're going to trap this thing and get him out of here," Flynn said. "Get these waterways safe again."
The-CNN-Wire
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