Heart-stopping body camera footage captured the moment a charging alligator tipped over a kayaker’s boat and sent him tumbling into murky water. Peter Joyce was enjoying what appeared to be a tranquil paddle along the Waccamaw River in Wilmington, North Carolina, earlier this month, with only the gentle sound of his oars hitting the still water to break the peaceful silence.
But things suddenly took a sinister turn when a gator – whose scaly skin was perfectly camouflaged by the brown water – suddenly emerged from the depths, and capsized Joyce’s kayak.
Joyce was shoved into a pile of wooden debris, with his waterproof camera capturing the moment he plunged into the river that was also home to the man-eating reptile.
The kayaker and his viewers spent several seconds clenched with stress, waiting for the alligator to make another appearance. But thankfully it kept its distance, with Joyce picking up his oar and paddling away at high speed.
Joyce escaped unharmed, and later shared the clip on his YouTube channel. He joked: ‘While paddling the upper Waccamaw in NC I received a warm welcome from the wildlife.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]
For more stories like this, check our news page