FIREFIGHTER had his face mauled by an alligator as he swam in a lake in Florida.
Juan Carlos La Verde, 34, was preparing for an athletic competition when he was brutally savaged by the beast in Lake Thonotosassa.
The US Air Force veteran was left with severe injuries to his head and face and had to undergo a six-hour long surgery to repair his skull and jaw.
Juan, who serves as a firefighter and paramedic with Oldsmar Fire Rescue, was swimming on August 3 when the alligator struck.
The beast ripped his face – but despite his shocking injuries, Juan narrowly managed to escape its jaws.
He then frantically swam ashore and called the sheriff’s office for help.
He was rushed to Tampa General Hospital, where spent more than a week in the ICU.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sent a trapper to the lake and launched an investigation.
Juan’s pal Kenney Ceron, who started a GoFundMe page for him, said the firefighter was discharged yesterday – but still faces another round of surgery.
He wrote: “He will need at least one surgery in the future to replace the bone in his brain that they had to remove.
