Most roadside rescues involve a flat tire or an overheated engine—not an 11-foot alligator trying to drag a man into a pond. But things are a bit different in Florida. And when Walter Rudder spotted his neighbor in trouble, he handled it the only way he knew how: by turning his car into an anti-gator weapon.

A walk turned fight for survival

Rick Fingeret was walking his two Labradors by a pond in Collier County when the unthinkable happened. An 11-foot alligator lunged out of the water, clamped onto his legs, and started dragging him toward the pond. Fingeret fought back the best he could. “I was kicking, poking its eyes and nose—anything to get free,” he later said. But the gator wouldn’t let go.

That’s when Walter Rudder, a passing neighbor, saw the chaos unfolding. “We saw a man lying on the ground, waving his arm,” Rudder told local reporters. “I got out of the car and saw the gator had him by the leg.” Without hesitation, Rudder hit the gas and ran the gator over. The gamble paid off—the massive predator let go of Fingeret and slithered back into the water.

Fingeret was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, but he’s alive to tell the tale. “I don’t know what would have happened if Walter didn’t help me,” he admitted.

Florida alligators, mating season, and quick thinking

Florida Fish and Wildlife officers captured the gator soon after the attack. Experts like Dr. Billy Gunnels of FGCU say such incidents are rare but can spike during mating season. “Alligator attacks are incredibly rare. But they do occur,” Gunnels emphasized. If you find yourself in a gator’s grip, experts advise fighting back fiercely.

Fingeret’s Labradors never left his side during the attack, a fact he’s still grateful for. Meanwhile, Rudder remains modest about his role as a neighborhood hero. “I just did what anyone would’ve done,” he shrugged.

Alligator attack on the cul-de-sac: only in Florida

Only in Florida could a gator, a car, and two loyal Labradors collide in one story of survival. Rick Fingeret owes his life to his quick-thinking neighbor and a car with enough horsepower to scare off a predator. As for the gator? It’s probably rethinking its dinner choices. Let this wild rescue be a reminder: in the Sunshine State, always expect the unexpected.