Alligator Alley Has a New Meaning At Eastwood Golf Course

Ft. Myers, Fla. - On March 16, 2023 David Corrigan of Kingston, Canada witnessed a horrific scene he thought he would only see in the movies or hear about on the news.

Corrigan, who checked in as a single out at Eastwood Golf Course, got paired with another twosome, the Nickerson brothers. What started out as a round full of lucky bounces and breaks, quickly turned for Steve Nickerson who became not so lucky leading up to St. Patrick's day. Mr. Nickerson unfortunately became a tasty sample for one of Eastwoods Gators that resides in the pond on the 12th hole.

“We both hit our balls in the shit and thought it was dry enough to step down” Said Corrigan “We didn't see anything and all I remember is Steve's leg submerging into the mud, yuck” Most of Eastwoods ponds are cut with a short incline leading to the water. In some areas there is flat ground that looks dried out and walkable. Although walkable for people, it becomes a prime area for wildlife to sit out and bask in.

Florida, a big tourist trap, is a popular destination for golfers, primarily the Southwest Florida Region. Although in Florida, Snowbirds are not the only ones sharing the state, there are an estimated 1.3 million alligators inhibiting lakes, canals, ponds and golf courses.

With the warm weather starting to turn around in early April, alligators are becoming more active and visible. April is the start of mating season which bumps up the metabolism and makes alligators more aggressive. Although for alligators to attack is a rarity.

“It’s just replaying in my head, the moment it happened” Corrigan emphasized “He yelled “OH SHIT” really loud and when we looked over, the alligator had him by the calf.”

Mr. Nickerson was lucky, when alligators attack they tend to drag their prey into the water and roll on them until they drown. For Mr. Nickerson, his brother, was able to act quickly. To Mr. Carrigan, he thinks that heroic thinking is what saved his brother.

“Bill Nickerson, Steve's brother, rushed to his bag grabbing a 54 degree wedge and started beating the gator” described Carrigan “ he kept wacking and wacking, eventually hitting the sweet spot for the alligator to let go…I bet if that gator is pulled he’ll have indentations on his head.”

Whether Mr. Nickersons brother had some background in gator knowledge or not. He was able to successfully get the gator to let go due to a very specific and important reason. Alligators have a vulnerable spot on the back of their heads right underneath the firm skull. This spot is quarter sized and if hit, it makes direct contact with the spine causing them to back off.

Once the gator finally let go, The Nickerson brothers rushed to the golf cart with Corrigan and they strategically wrapped the wound with a golf towel to stop the bleeding. “There was a lot of blood and we used a towel like a tourniquet. Never thought i'd have to do that before” Said Corrigan.

Mr. Nickerson, who was rushed to the Lee Hospital’s Emergency Department is being supervised under watchful eye to monitor for any further infection. Although, for the alligators residing at Eastwood Golf Course, this means doomsdays is on the horizon.

“This was super scary, I was inches away and it could have easily been me” sympathized Corrigan “ I don't know what happens now but I really hope they find that gator and bring him karma.”

Like dogs that go and attack children and owners, they have to be put down to prohibit accidents from happening again, alligators follow suit. Fish and Wildlife were called and a report was made to investigate and take care of the incident. Around 9:00 pm Fish and Wildlife arrived at Eastwood Golf Course to pull alligators out of the pond surrounding the 12th hole.

Not knowing how large the alligator was that attacked Mr. Nickerson, Fish and Wildlife were able to successfully pull two alligators one being around 5ft long and the other roughly being 8ft with reported indents on its head. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the attack, the alligators had to be killed to make sure it did not happen again.

Mr. Corrigan, who witnessed and assisted in helping the Nickerson brothers, continued to finish his round on March 16, 2023. “I didn't know what to do, I paid for golf and wanted to finish… I couldn't clear my head though, I have been freaking out since” expressed Corrigan “Every time I look at the water, I feel this unsteady feeling of that alligator staring right back at me.”

Unfortunately, this incident will be engraved in this threesome's mind. Returning to the links will be difficult especially down in Florida where most courses are lined with water. Knowing alligators reside in these ponds will create some PTSD for not only Mr. Corrigan but also the Nickerson brothers.

Most golfers whether local or tourist tend to find wildlife pleasing to look at as well as get closer too, Fish and Wildlife would like to remind golfers to stay clear of the water. If your ball may have gone in, be cautious of where you step and are searching.