Dad Franticly Calls 911 and Warns of ‘Hungry’ Gators After Becoming Stranded with Son in the Everglades

It started as an ordinary ride through the wild. It ended with a father and son clinging to each other in a freezing mudhole, barefoot, hungry, and surrounded by alligators.

Authorities say the pair were exploring the Big Cypress National Preserve — a remote stretch of swamp nearly the size of Rhode Island — when their ATV sputtered to a stop Thursday evening. The machine had run out of gas and quickly sank into the muck.

With the sun dropping and the wilderness closing in, the father grabbed his phone.

“My four-wheeler ran out of gas,” he told a 911 dispatcher. “We got stuck in a mudhole, and now we’re stranded. We’re almost out of water. It’s just me and my son.”

Moments later, his tone shifted from calm to frightened. “The sun’s going down,” he said. “And the alligators are hungry, buddy.”

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office scrambled its Aviation Bureau. Using GPS coordinates from the call, the helicopter crew began sweeping the black expanse of swamp. Below, the father and son had lit a fire — their only defense against the plunging temperatures and the circling wildlife.

“They were barefoot, soaked, and shaking,” one deputy told local station WMGT-TV. “You could see their fire flickering from the air. That’s what saved them.”

Night vision footage released by the sheriff’s office shows the rescue team hovering over the bog, lowering a hoist as the pair wave desperately from beside their small fire.

Rescuers pulled both men to safety as smoke drifted through the Everglades night. Before boarding the helicopter, they stamped out their fire to prevent it from spreading.

The sheriff’s office confirmed that neither was injured. “This is another example of CCSO’s great training put into practice and the success that comes from seamless partnerships,” officials said in a statement.

The Big Cypress National Preserve — located about 45 miles west of Miami — is known for its breathtaking beauty and its dangers. The swamp is home to panthers, cottonmouths, and thousands of alligators.

“People underestimate how fast you can get lost out here,” said longtime Everglades guide Mark Blanchard. “Once your vehicle breaks down, the mud can trap you within minutes. And when night comes, everything changes — the water moves, the animals move. You’re on their turf.”