Eric Merda, 43, has a story that sounds like Florida folklore, except it happened to him. While near the Fish Camp in Myakka City, he got lost in the swamp and tried to swim across Lake Manatee to reach safe land and his vehicle. Around 10 p.m. on July 17, an alligator attacked him, and he lost his right arm. He wasn’t found until three days later.
Merda’s account of the ordeal is straightforward: he got lost, he made a decision to swim for safety, and the gator changed everything. Three days alone in the Myakka swamp with a serious injury is the kind of survival story that stays with you, especially for those of us who cross Lake Manatee on SR-64 without thinking twice about what’s in the water.
His experience is now part of Season 1, Episode 2 of HBO’s “It’s Florida, Man,” a series built around the state’s strangest true tales. This time, the tale comes from our own backyard, and it’s a reminder to respect Florida’s waterways and wildlife. Have you ever had a close call on the water around the Suncoast? Share your story in the comments.
