Man attacked by gator outside Florida motel thought it was a dog

When a Florida man stepped outside his motel room to smoke a cigarette, he thought he heard a dog's growl.

Ray Schott said the 7-foot alligator attacked him so quickly that he didn't even realize it was an alligator at first. After surgery and five days spent in a hospital bed, Schott, 49, is walking again.

"It was like a grrrrr, a rumble, a deep deep rumble," Schott described. "I thought it was a pitbull, like a really upset pitbull."

Schott had no idea it was an alligator that grabbed his leg on June 6 next to the Warm Mineral Springs motel in North Port.

"I just stepped outside for a cigarette, thought I heard some kids screaming," Schott said. "I just stepped out to smoke, and took a little walk around the courtyard or whatever, but uh, Mister Alligator changed my plans a little."

What began as a quick evening smoke quickly turned into a nightmare.

"I knew if I fell, I was going to get the rest of what he had for me. I didn't want to stick around for that," Schott said.

Fortunately, he managed to flag down a nearby deputy who called paramedics and helped to tie off his bleeding leg.

"I'm not a blood kind of guy, but it was just gore," Schott described. "If I look at it I'm going to pass out."

After five days in the hospital, surgery, 30 staples and a temporary drain on his wound, he's walking again.

"I feel very lucky to have my leg," Schott said. "I told my surgeon to do everything you can to save my leg. He's like anything? I said I'd do whatever it takes on my end. Do you smoke? Yes. He says that's number 1. Quit Smoking."

A trapper took away the alligator that night.