Ironman triathlete escapes alligator attack in Savannah River

Man attacked by alligator in Savannah River

An Ironman swimmer survived an alligator attack in the Savannah River by thumbing the reptile's eye.

A 31-year-old triathlete escaped an alligator attack Sunday morning by gouging the reptile in the eye after it clamped down on his arm in the Savannah River. 

What we know:

Jonathan Bruney was training for an Ironman triathlon around 10:35 a.m. when the alligator struck his right bicep near the 300 block of East Shoreline Drive, according to a North Augusta Department of Public Safety incident report. 

Bruney thrust his left thumb into the alligator's eye to break its jaws free after it pulled him underwater. 

The swimmer shouted to warn others nearby as they all rushed toward a dock at 324 E. Shoreline Drive, where fellow swimmers tied a makeshift tourniquet around his arm.

Emergency crews responded to the dock and treated a 4- to 5-inch wound on Bruney's arm. 

He declined an ambulance ride and chose to get to Wellstar Hospital by personal vehicle instead. 

What we don't know:

Officers combed the shoreline following the attack, but they were unable to locate the alligator. 

Police notified the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources about the incident, but state officials have not confirmed the length of the reptile or whether it remains a threat to local swimmers.