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Man wearing Crocs injured after breaking into crocodile enclosure in Florida

Brandon Keith Hatfield decides to dive into a pond filled with alligators 

Thursday 08 November 2018 05:33 EST
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Police officers found the Crocs in the crocodile enclosure
Police officers found the Crocs in the crocodile enclosure (St. Augustine Police Department)

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A man wearing Crocs has been left injured after he broke into a crocodile enclosure in Florida.

Brandon Keith Hatfield, 23, snuck into the Alligator Farm Zoological Park after it had closed in the early evening of 5 November.

Mr Hatfield, who was already facing burglary and damaging property/criminal mischief charges, then decided to dive into a pond filled with crocodiles.

Police officers were called to the scene on the morning of 6 November after receiving reports of a man wearing underwear and crawling in the garden of a nearby property.

When they arrived they found a trail of blood, two Croc shoes and a pair of shorts floating in the crocodile pond.

"He jumped off a five to six-foot structure into about two feet of water, then climbed up on the 20-foot structure later, which we know from the blood trail," John Brueggen, the director of the farm, told the Florida Times-Union.

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"In our 125-year history, this is the first time anyone has tried to go swimming with the crocodiles."

Mr Hatfield was apparently bitten on the foot while he sat on the bank of the pond and was taken to hospital to receive treatment.

He also caused damage to the complex in the region of $5,000 (£3,800).

Mr Hatfield was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and violation of probation and will be transported to jail upon his release from hospital.

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