An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy is recovering after surviving an alligator attack during a family vacation in Florida. His father says the road ahead will be long, but that the family is focused on healing. Brodie Dituri and his father, Peter Dituri, had traveled to Florida on one of the family’s regular trips. “For the last couple of years, we’ve been going down there,” Peter Dituri said. For Brodie, every vacation included one tradition: fishing. “He always has to bring his fishing pole with him,” Peter said. “Any chance he sees water, he’s like, ‘Let’s go fishing.'” The father and son were fishing at Nelson’s Fish Camp in Marion County when Brodie caught a fish. As he tried to release it back into the water, an alligator attacked, grabbing his arm. Peter Dituri said there was no time to think. “There was no thought process. It was just instinct,” he said. Peter said he jumped onto the alligator and worked to pry its jaws open while yelling for someone to call 911. “The officers all said that if I didn’t go on top of it and had caused it to roll, it would have pulled him into the water before rolling,” he said. As the attack unfolded, bystanders rushed to help. “From having nobody around to having people there, I can’t thank them enough,” Peter said, becoming emotional during the interview. Back home in Pennsylvania, the family is now concentrating on Brodie’s recovery. Peter said they are heading to another doctor’s appointment, one of many expected in the months ahead. Doctors have discussed both transplant and prosthetic options as Brodie adjusts to life after the attack. “He’s leaning in towards looking at the prosthetics,” Peter said. Peter said recovery will be challenging both physically and emotionally. For now, he said, the traumatic experience has changed how Brodie feels about returning to the Sunshine State. “Right now, that’s absolutely not gonna happen,” Peter said. “He is definitely afraid of Florida.”

MARION COUNTY, Fla. —

An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy is recovering after surviving an alligator attack during a family vacation in Florida. His father says the road ahead will be long, but that the family is focused on healing.

Brodie Dituri and his father, Peter Dituri, had traveled to Florida on one of the family’s regular trips.

“For the last couple of years, we’ve been going down there,” Peter Dituri said.

For Brodie, every vacation included one tradition: fishing.

“He always has to bring his fishing pole with him,” Peter said. “Any chance he sees water, he’s like, ‘Let’s go fishing.'”

The father and son were fishing at Nelson’s Fish Camp in Marion County when Brodie caught a fish. As he tried to release it back into the water, an alligator attacked, grabbing his arm.

Peter Dituri said there was no time to think.

“There was no thought process. It was just instinct,” he said.

Peter said he jumped onto the alligator and worked to pry its jaws open while yelling for someone to call 911.

“The officers all said that if I didn’t go on top of it and had caused it to roll, it would have pulled him into the water before rolling,” he said.

As the attack unfolded, bystanders rushed to help.

“From having nobody around to having people there, I can’t thank them enough,” Peter said, becoming emotional during the interview.

Back home in Pennsylvania, the family is now concentrating on Brodie’s recovery. Peter said they are heading to another doctor’s appointment, one of many expected in the months ahead.

Doctors have discussed both transplant and prosthetic options as Brodie adjusts to life after the attack.

“He’s leaning in towards looking at the prosthetics,” Peter said.

Peter said recovery will be challenging both physically and emotionally. For now, he said, the traumatic experience has changed how Brodie feels about returning to the Sunshine State.

“Right now, that’s absolutely not gonna happen,” Peter said. “He is definitely afraid of Florida.”