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
Former mayor stabbed outside blue state business, suspect with multiple arrests charged

Ex-Mayor Stabbed Outside Business in Blue State: Repeat Offender Charged in High-Profile Incident

A former Massachusetts mayor sustained injuries from a stabbing incident outside his…
Carlson and Greene Outline Five Pillars for America’s Renewal

Carlson and Greene Unveil Five Key Strategies for Revitalizing America

In their explosive discussion, journalist Tucker Carlson and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor…
Luigi Mangione joked about paying for prostitutes with Pokémon cards during Asia trip: report

Report: Luigi Mangione Allegedly Jokes About Using Pokémon Cards for Payment During Asia Visit

Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin, humorously recounted using valuable “Pokémon” cards to…
Strike averted: Musicians' union reaches tentative deal with Broadway league

Musicians’ Union and Broadway League Reach Tentative Agreement, Preventing Strike

NEW YORK — Broadway musicians have successfully brokered a preliminary deal with…
California police officer killed in crash on Interstate 8

Tragic Interstate 8 Collision Claims Life of California Police Officer

The La Mesa community is grappling with the tragic loss of Officer…
Chicago crash: 1 arrested in attempt to hit federal agents in vehicle near Ogden, 26th Street in Little Village, Cicero police say

Chicago Incident: Suspect Arrested in Alleged Vehicle Assault on Federal Agents in Little Village, Cicero

CHICAGO — In a dramatic incident on Chicago’s Southwest Side on Wednesday…
A GIF of a strike on a

Hegseth Announces U.S. Strike in Eastern Pacific Aimed at Suspected Narco-Traffickers

Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the U.S. military has…
Chilton County dog trainer found guilty in animal cruelty case

Chilton County Dog Trainer Convicted: Shocking Animal Cruelty Case Unveiled

CHILTON COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A dog training facility owner in Verbena…
A timeline of US attacks off South America and what Congress has had to say

Exploring the Chronology of U.S. Military Actions off South America: Congressional Insights and Reactions

WASHINGTON (AP) — Over the past two months, President Donald Trump and…
Illegal immigrant trucker accused in fatal California crash released by Biden admin after 2022 border crossing

Immigrant Trucker Involved in Fatal California Accident Released by Biden Administration Following 2022 Border Entry

A 21-year-old man from India, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022…
Florida Uber Eats driver noticed autistic son missing from car, continues delivery: police

Florida Uber Eats Driver Reports Autistic Son Missing During Delivery, Police Investigate

A Florida Uber Eats driver has been charged with child neglect after…
Tropical Storm Melissa is now forecast to become a major hurricane as it trends toward a concerning track

Tropical Storm Melissa Predicted to Intensify into a Major Hurricane, Following a Worrisome Path

Tropical Storm Melissa is slowly making its way across the Caribbean Sea,…