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Gator Bites Diver Retrieving Golf Balls Wed Apr 26, 5:20 PM ET


BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - A diver hired by the city to retrieve golf balls from a lake was attacked by a 9-foot alligator that bit the man's arm, authorities said.

Stephen Martinez, 43, of Coral Springs, was treated at a hospital for injuries similar to a dog bite, said Palm Beach County sheriff's Lt. Rolando Silva.

"It's serious, but certainly not life-threatening," he said.

Martinez was under murky water at The Links golf course when a group of golfers heard him yell for help, said course manager Dan Hager.

The alligator apparently bit Martinez's air tank and tried to pull him under the water. Martinez grabbed a utility knife strapped to his dive suit and tried to stab the animal. That's when it bit his arm, Hager said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was investigating.

The alligator was trapped and will have to be euthanized, commission spokeswoman Dani Moschella said.