Kolkata: Can a mere golf putter be of any use outside the golf club? Yes it can. It can serve as a life-saving weapon. At least that’s what a Florida golfer Tony Aarts employed in order to free himself from the deadly jaws of an Alligator, reports PTI.
Aarts was in middle of a game and was approaching the 4th hole in the Magnolia Landing Golf and Country Club in USA when the 10-foot giant gator appeared out of nowhere and caught him by the ankle on Wednesday. Not only was this surprising, but life-taking for the golfer. The Alligator dragged him to the nearby water body in a jiffy. “As I was walking about 5 to 6 feet away from the water I heard a splash, and as soon as I heard that splash I knew it was an Alligator, and he got me” Aarts was quoted by PTI.
The reptile showing no mercy, started getting onto his back. The water level was getting up to his waist. Thankfully, Aarts gathered that he had a club in his hand and hence wasting no moments, he started hitting the giant gator with the putter. He gave in all he had to rescue himself, but we know that the strength of the age old reptile’s jaws are way more than a semi-drowned human’s hand and soon the water level was up to his chest. “He was looking at me with his big eyes, and I kept hitting him. And I’m thinking I’m getting deeper and deeper, and I thought you’re not gonna get me” he said.
Goes the saying, “When you have the will, you find the way.” Just when everything looked over the American golfer, his life saving instincts fired. Aarts using his Cleveland Golf Putter went straight for the gator’s eyes to subdue him. He had to hit the eyes three times to free himself and miraculously, he did! “I started hitting him in the eye socket. I hit him three times and he let go of my foot, so I crawled back out and by that time the guys were there” Aarts said.
The officers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee, who came to his rescue captured the 10-foot giant and brought it down. Using his best shots, the golfer won the game against death. A perfect ‘drive’! Aarts was later taken to a hospital and released after treatment. “It’s a good thing I had that putter. It’s a good, solid, heavy putter,” Aarts was quoted by The Guardian.