When a wild alligator was spotted outside a Jacksonville, Florida, elementary school, MMA fighter and veteran Mike Dragich came to the rescue.
Here’s What Happened
A video showing Mike Dragich, a Florida MMA fighter, wrangling a massive alligator outside an elementary school in Jacksonville quickly went viral online last week.
With a video camera recording his every move, Dragich was able to corral the gator, secure it with a catch pole, and with the help of several first responders, wrestled it into submission.
“When I showed up, all the pressure was really off,” Dragich said last Friday. “I walked through those gates and I saw the big alligator and I knew the job had to get done. So we got it done.” After the alligator was subdued it was moved to a safer area.
Dragich says the videos have brought a lot of attention to him, which he uses for a greater cause to help others who served our country.
“It puts eyes on me and I want to use that opportunity to point it all to Jesus and get these veterans all the help that they need. My heart goes to our veterans dealing with PTSD and the issue of veteran suicide,” Dragich said.
The military vet started a nonprofit called, Project Savior Outdoors, whose mission is to fight PTSD and veteran suicide by connecting with the great outdoors.
Alligators are found throughout Florida, and occasionally they leave their natural habitats in ponds, swamps, and lowlands to venture closer to humans.
Get the news you need at It’s On News.