‘Out of nowhere, it hit me’: Swimmer fights off alligator attack in Savannah River

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – A triathlon coach says instinct and training kicked in when a 4‑ to 5‑foot alligator latched onto his arm during an IRONMAN practice swim in the Savannah River.

“I just knew the eyes were what you should target,” said 31-year-old Jonathan Bruney, of Charlotte. “I put my hand on the snout, reached up, and pushed my thumb into his eyeball, and he released.”

Bruney, who previously lived in Augusta, brought several of his NVDM Coaching athletes to town Sunday for what was supposed to be a “race rehearsal” – swimming the IRONMAN Augusta course, then previewing parts of the bike and run.

“The goal was to get to Augusta and really just go through the entire simulation,” he said. “Swim down the river, bike part of the course, and run on the Greeneway … just to get the athletes confident and clear those pre‑race nerves.”

Around 10 to 10:30 a.m., the group entered the water from the boat ramp next to SRP Park – the same spot used on race day – wearing bright triathlon suits and towing neon safety buoys.

“We had walked up on the bridge, looked in the water,” Bruney said. “I knew there could be a chance of maybe a few alligators here or there, but I would never put my athletes into any sort of danger. And the chances of that are extremely rare.”

About 1,000 yards into the swim and roughly 60 yards offshore, that changed.

One athlete farther ahead spotted a gator along the bank and veered away.

Seconds later, Bruney, leading the main pack in a white tri suit, felt a violent blow.

“Basically, out of nowhere, it hit me,” he said. “It was a pretty big impact to my right side … it felt as if my elbow had made a hard impact, maybe like diving on a gym basketball court.”

At first, he thought he’d hit a log. Then the “cold pain” shot up his arm and he realized it was an alligator, its front left foot and jaws clamping onto his upper arm.

“I immediately thought, ‘I need to get this off of me,’ because I didn’t want him to spin or death roll and do even more damage,” Bruney said.

He grabbed the gator’s head, jammed his thumb into its eye and broke free.

‘Jonathan’s been bit’

Triathlete Matthew Davis, who was swimming behind Bruney, said nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first.

“I could see some commotion in the water in front of me but didn’t think nothing of it,” Davis said. “I sighted again, and I could see they were climbing up onto a dock, and that was not normal.”

Another athlete yelled for him to get out of the water.

“I got to the dock, climbed up on it, and he just said, ‘Jonathan’s been bit,’” Davis said.

Bruney was in shock and bleeding heavily from a deep gash that later required a procedure and “quite a few stitches.”

Davis, a wilderness first responder, ripped the cord off his swim buoy to make a tourniquet.

“I told him, ‘It’s gonna hurt,’” he said. “I squeezed as hard as I could, and I could watch the bleeding stop as we applied the tourniquet.”

With no phones on them, the athletes began banging on doors along the riverfront. They eventually flagged down a man walking his dogs and asked him to call 911.

First responders from North Augusta Public Safety and EMS met them on East Shoreline Drive. Bruney was taken by personal vehicle to an Augusta hospital, where doctors told him the bite mainly damaged skin and fat rather than muscle.

“Once again, it could have been a lot worse,” Bruney said. “I guess I won the alligator lottery.”

He’s been told to stay out of the water for three to four weeks but still plans to race IRONMAN Augusta – just not at the very front of the swim.

“I’ll still be racing. I’ll still be coaching and pursuing the passion,” he said. “I told my athletes … ‘I am a coach that will fight off and take a gator bite to protect you and make sure you’re having a successful swim.’”

Respecting the river

Bruney and Davis both say they’re not giving up on open‑water swimming, but they have a new respect for what shares the river with them.

“Am I scared of the water? No. But do I have a very healthy respect for the water and what’s in it? Absolutely,” Davis said, calling the attack a “freak accident.”

Bruney echoed that, urging people to use more caution but not avoid the river entirely.

“We didn’t see anything, but once again, we know they’re in there,” he said. “It’s Georgia. It’s the South. It happens.”

Officers searched the area Sunday but could not find the alligator. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has been notified and is aware of the incident.

‘A sobering reminder’

The Savannah Riverkeeper said the incident is a reminder that the waterway is a living ecosystem.

“The recent alligator attack is a sobering reminder that when we swim in the Savannah, we are entering an ecosystem – one inhabited by fish, turtles, snakes, birds, alligators and a thousand other things that have no particular interest in accommodating us,” the nonprofit said on Facebook.

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy the river. Quite the opposite. It does, however, mean we should respect it.”

The Riverkeeper said being in the Savannah means sharing the river with the creatures that were here long before we arrived.

“A healthy river is a living river. Just remember you’re a visitor.”

The Savannah Riverkeeper urges visitors to pay attention when you are in the water, focus on your surroundings, and understand that conditions can change quickly.

Researchers at the Savannah River Ecology Lab say you’re more likely to be struck by lightning or win the lottery than be seriously hurt by an alligator, but it’s important to put safety first.

Here are some other tips from various experts:

Never feed alligators

Feeding gators teaches them to associate people with food and makes them lose their natural fear. Even feeding ducks, fish or turtles near gator habitat can draw them in. It’s illegal to feed alligators in South Carolina and Georgia.

Keep your distance

Alligators can move quickly on land for short bursts. A safe distance from an adult gator is about 60 feet. If it hisses or lunges, you’re too close. Myths like having to run in a zig-zag pattern aren’t necessary — just back away and give it space.

Don’t touch, move or harass them

If an alligator is crossing a path or road, let it go. Don’t try to move it, corner it or throw things at it. That’s illegal in many places and can trigger a defensive attack, especially from females guarding nests or babies.

Protect kids and pets

Wildlife specialists warn that dogs and small children can look like prey to a hungry gator. Keep pets leashed and children away from the water. Don’t let them swim, wade, or play where gators may live.

Be careful where you swim and fish

Avoid swimming in areas known for large alligators, especially alone. To a gator, splashing can signal a food source. If you’re fishing, be ready to cut the line if a gator goes for your catch, and avoid thick shoreline brush where they may be hiding.

Call authorities

If an alligator is acting aggressively toward people, hanging out where it shouldn’t be, or has clearly lost its fear of humans, contact your state’s wildlife agency so trained officers can respond.