Share this @internewscast.com

A South Florida man has a long road to recovery after he was bitten in the leg by a crocodile at Everglades National Park over the weekend.

“I am feeling good because I am alive,” Rodrigo Constain told NBC South Florida on Tuesday after coming home from the hospital. “It’s a story that probably couldn’t be told.”

Constain fell into the water at the Flamingo Marina on Sunday when the wind knocked over his sailboat.

When he tried to get back inside the boat, Constain said he felt something holding onto his leg.

“I didn’t feel any pain, nothing,” he recalled. “I don’t know why.”

Constain said his intuition was to touch whatever was holding onto his leg. He then felt a long mouth and a head and tried to loosen the creature’s grip.

“I didn’t know what was holding me because I didn’t enter in panic,” he said. “I didn’t know … never I thought that it was a crocodile.”

The crocodile let go. Constain finally felt the pain hit as he swam back to the deck.

“I wasn’t panicking and I didn’t at all. I wasn’t afraid, I didn’t feel any panic,” he said.

More from NBC South Florida

Rangers responded to the marina and found the 68-year-old with lacerations on his leg. Constain said his wife and the rangers saw the crocodile in the water from the deck.

It’s rare for an American crocodile to bite a human, The Associated Press reported. The only other documented case involving a crocodile biting a human happened in 2014, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson Lauren Claerbout told the news outlet in an email.

Constain was flown to Jackson South Hospital. He said doctors told him the wound went as deep as the bone, but it was a miracle that there was no fracture.

Doctors said it could take about a month for him to walk again.

“I don’t know how I’m gonna work since I’m a handyman,” Constain said.

His family established a GoFundMe for help with hospital bills. He said he’s thankful for the help he’s received so far.

“There’s only one reason that I’m here: It’s God,” Constain said. “If you’re not with God, I wouldn’t be here. He was all the time with me and that’s what I think. I was not afraid, because when you believe in God, you are not afraid.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Inside the shoe bomb plot that changed airport security and why the rule is now ending

A Look at the Shoe Bomb Plot that Transformed Airport Security and the Reasons Behind the Rule’s End

After nearly two decades of shuffling barefoot through airport security lines, American…
Illustration of Indiana fireworks legality: pie charts showing legal times to set off fireworks for various dates.

New July 9 ‘Fireworks’ Law Enforces Instant Fines in US Cities for Violations—With One Date Exception

PEOPLE who set off fireworks now face instant fines for breaking a…
New interim Chicago Public Schools CEO Dr. Macquline King speaks in first 2 weeks on the job on $736 million CPS budget shortfall

Chicago Public Schools’ New Interim CEO Dr. Macquline King Addresses $736 Million Budget Deficit in Her First Two Weeks

CHICAGO (WLS) — Dr. Macquline King, with a history as a former…
Las Vegas woman describing shark attack in Florida.

Woman Attacked by Shark in Florida, Suffers Large ‘Barracuda-Sized Bite’ During Her First Visit

A VISITOR was severely injured when a shark bit her during her…
Photo of Darcy Deefholts.

Teen Surfer’s Dramatic Rescue: Swept 9 Miles Out to Sea and Stranded Overnight on Deserted Island

A 19-YEAR-OLD surfer was miraculously found alive and well after getting marooned…
Silver stainless steel water bottle with black lid and handle.

Walmart Urgently Recalls 850,000 Water Bottles After ‘Ejecting’ Incident Leaves Two Blind

An urgent recall has been announced for approximately 850,000 stainless steel water…
Jake Paul's message to Ben Askren after his former opponent's health scare

Jake Paul Sends Message to Ben Askren Following Health Scare

Jake Paul is praising former opponent Ben Askren as “one of the…
Samaritan's Purse volunteers bring faith and supplies to Texans in need

Samaritan’s Purse volunteers deliver faith and aid to struggling Texans

Samaritan’s Purse volunteers are no strangers to disasters, and they are currently…
New Hampshire judge to pause Trump's birthright citizenship order

New Hampshire Judge Halts Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Directive

A federal judge in New Hampshire announced on Thursday that he will…
George Mason University faces investigation in Trump administration's anti-DEI crackdown

George Mason University Under Investigation Amidst Trump Administration’s Crackdown on DEI

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Thursday, the Trump administration initiated a civil rights…
Aerial view of a fenced-in facility in a desert landscape.

Israel Reveals Some Iranian Underground Uranium Reserves Withstood Trump’s Assault, Warns of Potential New Strikes

ISRAEL says some of Iran’s highly-enriched near weapons-grade uranium stockpile survived US…
Carol Reith arrested for animal cruelty, 52 dogs rescued from 200 block of Sky Hill Road, Wauconda police say

Wauconda Police Report: Carol Reith Detained for Animal Cruelty; 52 Dogs Rescued on Sky Hill Road

WAUCONDA, Ill. (WLS) — A woman was arrested for animal cruelty after…