WARNING: Graphic Content
Terrifying footage has captured the moment an alligator lunges out of the gloom and attacks a snorkeler.
Jeff Heim collects shark teeth, and is particularly interested in fossilised megalodon teeth.
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Finding the teeth often takes Heim into some murky waters, such as on this particular day.
Heim had donned his snorkel and fins and set out to find some of the teeth in a Florida river.
Unfortunately, getting into a murky river in Florida did not end well for Heim.
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GoPro footage has shown the harrowing moment a waiting alligator lunged out of the murky water and clamped down onto his head.
Heim later recalled how his head had almost 'exploded' under the force of the bite as the animal bit him 'twice before I knew it'.
Speaking to Florida Fourth Estate, he said: "It was very powerful. It seemed a lot larger than it actually was."
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Initially, he had believed that the alligator was a boat which had clipped him on the head, but only realised the horrifying truth when he caught site of the reptile.
He recalled: "That to me is why it wasn't as scary, because there's no anticipation. It's like, you blink and things are different."
Heim was able to keep himself calm, as panicking could have ended up provoking the alligator further.
He said: "You never want to thrash or splash or act like prey, so I stayed calm."
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The collector managed to get out of the river, but it was only then that the full extent of his injuries became clear.
But then he felt that a large flap of his skull which had been torn from his head in a shape which matched the snout of the alligator.
This is still visible in a large U-shaped scar on his head. He said: "This was ripped open. And it was flapping, and hanging this way."
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When he arrived at the hospital he soon realised that a lot of people were looking at him.
He said: "I was just pretty loopy, the severity of the moment hadn't set in yet... I was a little lighthearted with it and was trying to be funny."
Despite everything, he pleaded that the alligator not be killed, recalling saying in hospital: "Whatever you can do, please don't kill that alligator, I was in her home."
While officials did located the 6ft 4in gator and didn't mean it any harm, the same could not be said for another larger gator which killed the original reptile in front of officials.
Heim believes it was his camera which protected him from the bite, and while he still dives he now takes his safety more seriously.
He said: "I did know the dangers, but I don't think I took them seriously enough back then."
Kit Roberts