No more swimming in southern lakes for me

Nope. Not gonna do it. Not after Bill Hedden of Summerville, SC went for a dip in Lake Moultrie and an 11-foot, 550 lb alligator tore his arm off two weeks ago. According to this story, the retired U.S. Navy master chief had checked both the shoreline and water for signs of gators before going swimming, his son said. He had been coming to the area for 25 years and felt the risk was minimal. But Bill Hedden was only in the water for about five minutes before being attacked. The gator snatched him and literally ripped his arm right off him. Hedden escaped and made it to the beach in the recreation area (where, presumably, others were swimming) and he was aided by some nurses who happened to be there enjoying the day. But for them he'd probably have died.

The arm was later recovered from the gator after it was killed, but it could not be reattached.



And to think when I was young, I was worried about sharks. (OK, that was right after seeing "Jaws!" in the theater.)

Reports say that Bill Hedden is recovering and both Lagniappe and I wish him the best.