MARION COUNTY, Fla. — An 11-year-old boy is recovering after losing his right hand in an alligator attack while fishing with his father in Marion County.

The child and his father, Peter Dituri, are back home in Pennsylvania after a family trip to Florida.

“For the last couple of years, we’ve been going down there,” Dituri said.

For Brodie, every trip meant one thing: fishing.

“He always has to bring his fishing pole with him. So any chance he sees water, he’s like, ‘Let’s go fishing,’” Dituri said.

The father and son were fishing at Nelson’s Fish Camp in Marion County when Brodie caught a fish.

As he went to release it, an alligator grabbed his arm.

Dituri said he immediately jumped on the alligator, trying to pry its jaws open to free his son.

“There was no thought process. It was just instinct,” he said.

He said officers later told him that if he had not jumped on the alligator and caused it to roll, it would have pulled Brodie into the water before rolling.

As he yelled for someone to call 911, bystanders rushed over to help.

“From having nobody around to having people there, I can’t thank them enough,” Dituri said through tears.

Now, the family is focused on Brodie’s recovery.

Dituri said they are headed to another doctor’s appointment, one of many still ahead.

Doctors have discussed both transplant and prosthetic options as Brodie begins adjusting to life after the attack.

“He’s leaning in toward looking at the prosthetics,” Dituri said.

Dituri said Brodie’s right hand was also his dominant hand, especially when playing baseball and football.

The road ahead will be long, both physically and mentally. Brodie said he is now “definitely afraid of Florida.”

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said they have captured and killed the alligator believed to be responsible for the attack.

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