Watch: Terrifying moment alligator jumps out of water, snatches fish caught by Florida boy

In a horrifying experience, a young boy in the US had a close call with an alligator while he was fishing in his backyard, as the reptile snatched the fish he had just caught.

A video of the hair-raising experience was shared by Sean McMahon from Florida’s Palm Coast. The 50-second clip shows McMahon’s seven-year-old son Dawson fishing in the backyard of their house. The boy is proud at having his father film the moment he catches a fish. Ecstatic at having caught a bass, he decided to keep going, despite being tired. With McMahon murmuring encouragements in the background, the boy begins to reel in his catch. However, both are unaware of the danger lurking beneath the water, just metres from where they stand.

The boy reels in the fish, coming closer to the edge of the water. As he goes to retrieve the fish, an alligator comes rushing towards the fish. The gator reaches the edge of the lake, and snatches it in its mouth. The boy lets go of the fishing rod to jump back to safety. The alligator then drags the fishing pole into the water. As the video ends, McMahon and his boy can be heard saying “Oh my god”. The alligator swims way from the scene, while the father-son duo are left stunned.

The video of the incident has gone viral, with over 14,000 views on Facebook till date. Several people commented that such kind of incidents happen only in Florida, while others were glad that the boy was safe, since gators have a tendency to go after small children and pets.

Some users advised McMahon to stay away from water bodies in the area after dusk, since the region is infested with alligators.

As reported by The Mirror , about one million alligators live in Florida, and the family may think twice before venturing to the end of their garden in the future.