Florida man seriously injured after falling off bike and getting bitten by alligator

Cyclist lost control of bike before falling down embankment and into body of water

(Martin County Sheriff’s Office)

A man is seriously injured after getting bitten by a nine ft-long alligator in Flordia, authorities have said.

The victim was riding his bicycle along a trail at Halpatiokee Park in Stuart, Martin County, at around 11:00am when he lost control.

He fell down an embankment into a body of water where he was then bitten by a female alligator, Martin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The cyclist was able to break free then crawl to an area where he was assisted by a bystander.

Martin County Fire Rescue, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and Florida Fish and Wildlife Officers administered aid at the scene.

The bite victim was then driven to a park area where he was flown to hospital by a medical helicopter crew.

Video from the sheriff's office showed paramedics loading the man on a stretcher and into the aircraft.

A witness said the man sustained injures to his leg, mostly his upper thigh, according to WPTV.

"He had a lot of marks all over his leg, but mainly in the upper thigh," Charlie Shannon told the network.

"He was hanging on roots like five feet below," Shannon added. "It was hard to get him out,".

An officer was able to locate and trap the alligator shortly after the incident and an investigation has been launched.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says serious injuries caused by alligators are rare.