Low Country man mauled by Alligator in Cooper River

Lose his arm or lose his life was the split-decision choice a lowcountry man had to make after being pinned underwater by an alligator.

Out of air and pinned by an alligator to the bottom of the Cooper River in South Carolina, Will Georgitis decided his only chance to survive might be to lose his arm.

Georgitis told The Post and Courier of Charleston he put his feet on the gator and pushed as hard as he could. However, he says he somehow ripped his arm out of the alligator's jaws instead of off.

Georgitis was attacked April 15 as he surfaced. He says he has seen gators before in the 30 or 40 times he has dived at the spot, but never had one come after him.

Georgitis suffered a broken arm and has tons of staples from the wounds.