Shocking second alligator clamps down on shark tooth collector’s HEAD

Terrifying GoPro footage captured the second an alligator clamped down on the pinnacle of a shark tooth collector as he waded by means of a Florida river.

Jeff Heim, a collector specializing in historical megalodon enamel, recalled his scrape with loss of life in 2021 this week, saying the gator bit him ‘twice earlier than I knew it’.

‘It was very highly effective. It appeared loads bigger than it really was,’ he informed Florida Fourth Estate. 

He believes he was solely spared by the waterproof digital camera strapped to his head – which recorded the frenzied ordeal – and if he did not put on the digital camera ‘my head would’ve exploded.’

Jeff Heim, knowledgeable shark tooth collector, was bitten twice on the pinnacle by a crocodile in a frenzied assault in Florida’s Myakka River in 2021 

Heim obtained 34 staples to his head after the assault, however he credited a GoPro fitted to his head for saving his life, saying if he did not put on the digital camera ‘my head would’ve exploded’ 

Heim stated the assault got here as he was steadily sifting by means of the mattress of Florida’s Myakka River for megalodon enamel, and believed the preliminary glancing blow from the beast was a ship clipping his head. 

‘That to me is why it wasn’t as scary, as a result of there is no anticipation,’ he stated. ‘It’s like, you blink and issues are totally different.’ 

As the gator made contact, Heim’s GoPro filmed the second the murky water earlier than him grew to become crammed with bubbles whereas he thrashed in a second of response. 

He says he rapidly calmed down because of his understanding of the predators because the alligator went in for one more chew, saying: ‘You by no means wish to thrash or splash or act like prey, so I stayed calm.’ 

Heim prevented a number of extra tried strikes by the alligator within the muddy river, which he ‘backed away from slowly and calmly’, which he knew to do as a result of he had ‘dove round sharks’ many instances earlier than. 

He stated the extent of his accidents weren’t instantly clear to him, till he felt a big flap of his cranium had been torn from his head within the form of the alligator’s snout. 

‘This was ripped open,’ he stated, pointing at a big U-shaped scar on the facet of his head. ‘And it was flapping, and hanging this manner.’ 

After clambering to the riverbank and calling for assist at a close-by restaurant, he was rushed to hospital, the place paramedics stapled his head 34 instances – resulting in grisly photos of huge scars zig-zagging throughout his scalp. 

Heim was additionally bit within the hand through the assault, and was handled for extreme puncture wounds. 

The shark tooth collector stated the near-death expertise solely started to daybreak on him when he arrived at a hospital, the place a paramedic warned him there can be ‘lots of people trying’ at him

The assault occurred on Florida’s Myakka River 

Heim’s horrific head wounds noticed him virtually lose a big chunk of his head, and was left with lengthy scars zig-zagging throughout his scalp 

He stated the near-death expertise solely started to daybreak on him after a paramedic warned him there can be ‘lots of people trying’ at him when he arrived on the hospital. 

‘I used to be simply fairly crazy, the severity of the second hadn’t set in but… I used to be a bit of lighthearted with it and was making an attempt to be humorous,’ he stated, and admitted he even tried to hawk his social media handles to nurses amid the eye. 

Wildlife officers captured the alligator following the incident, and measured it at 6ft 4 inches, however Heim stated it was discovered to have a big chunk of its tail lacking and was doubtless nearer to eight ft. 

The nature lover insisted that the gator should not be put to loss of life after the assault, and he recalled pleading from his hospital mattress: ‘Whatever you are able to do, please do not kill that alligator, I used to be in her residence.’ 

However, in an ironic twist, he stated when the wildlife officers approached the gator, who they weren’t intent on killing anyway, an enormous 13-foot alligator unexpectedly leapt from the water and attacked and killed the animal. 

Now, two years on from the second and together with his accidents healed, Heim stated he cites the GoPro on his head from deflecting a part of the strike and saving his life, saying: ‘I nonetheless do not suppose I felt the total power of that chew.’ 

‘And if I did, my head would’ve exploded.’ 

Although he continues to dive for megalodon enamel often, and donates the income to wildlife organizations, Heim added that he has a a lot safer method as of late and thinks he was reckless. 

He concluded: ‘I did know the hazards, however I do not suppose I took them critically sufficient again then.’  

Speaking years on from his brush with loss of life, Heim concluded that he did not take the hazards of lurking round alligators ‘critically sufficient again then’ 

Despite virtually dropping his head within the assault, Heim was removed from deterred from diving into harmful waters once more, and went on to arrange his firm SHRKco, which collects and sells historical shark enamel. 

Just two months after the gator chomp, he additionally went on to make his finest catch but, when he retrieved a ‘miracle’ six-inch megalodon tooth from a Florida seabed. 

In footage shared to TikTok that was seen over 4.5 million instances, the large tooth was seen buried in deep inexperienced seawater, earlier than Heim was visibly ecstatic as he picked it up. 

He described the discover as ‘among the finest days of my life’, as he screamed with happiness whereas rising from the water holding the half-a-foot tooth.