'Did it my own way': WESH speaks to Florida man who used trash can to trap gator in viral video
- 3 years ago
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —
Eugene Bozzi is a military veteran and a dad. While he's only been in Florida a year, the native of Philadelphia felt an alligator's power up close.
"Somebody's gotta step up and do something, we all got to look out for each other right?" he told WESH 2. "I was frightened when I had it in it, because it was so powerful. And I didn't expect that, it was pushing out, whipping its tail around."
Denise Sparks says the 6-footer was in front her Orange County home and she had no idea until she heard the commotion.
"I would have been gator food, I would have fainted," she said. "I said, 'What in the world is going on?' I heard boom boom boom."
Once the gator was in the trash can, Bozzi quickly maneuvered it down the embankment toward the retention pond pushing it over, and hightailed up the hill.
"Army training kicked in, get it done, dropping it in, keep moving," he said.
Orange County tweeted out that people should call the state's nuisance line for alligators so a licensed trapper can take over.
"I don't know the procedures, so I did it my own way," he said.
Bozzi is stunned by the attention he got after the video went viral.
"I got so many inboxes, DMs, women saying things, men saying things, people that I do know, friends," he said.
Eugene Bozzi is a military veteran and a dad. While he's only been in Florida a year, the native of Philadelphia felt an alligator's power up close.
"Somebody's gotta step up and do something, we all got to look out for each other right?" he told WESH 2. "I was frightened when I had it in it, because it was so powerful. And I didn't expect that, it was pushing out, whipping its tail around."
Denise Sparks says the 6-footer was in front her Orange County home and she had no idea until she heard the commotion.
"I would have been gator food, I would have fainted," she said. "I said, 'What in the world is going on?' I heard boom boom boom."
Once the gator was in the trash can, Bozzi quickly maneuvered it down the embankment toward the retention pond pushing it over, and hightailed up the hill.
"Army training kicked in, get it done, dropping it in, keep moving," he said.
Orange County tweeted out that people should call the state's nuisance line for alligators so a licensed trapper can take over.
"I don't know the procedures, so I did it my own way," he said.
Bozzi is stunned by the attention he got after the video went viral.
"I got so many inboxes, DMs, women saying things, men saying things, people that I do know, friends," he said.