James Barney Jr.: 9 years old Florida boy explains how he survived alligator attack

James Barney Jr., a 9-year-old Florida boy who fought off a 9-foot-long and 500 pounds alligator with his bare hands, talked to reporters during a press conference at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, Friday, August 8, 2014.

The boy talked about his survival of the dramatic alligator attack while swimming in a lake in Kissimmee, Florida, on Thursday.

“I felt its jaw. I felt its teeth,” James Barney Jr. said.

James Barney Junior is in hospital recovering from his injuries. He had been riding his bike with friends when he decided to take a dip in a dangerous lake near Orlando.

The surgeon who treated the boy said the alligator left about 30 marks from both claws and teeth, leaving a tooth embedded in the skin.

James wanted to keep the tooth, but said officials wouldn’t let him.

“The tooth is pretty big. I wanted to keep it but animal control came in and took it so they could find the alligator that attacked me,” he said.

James Barney Jr. said officials estimated the beast to measure about nine-foot long and weigh in at 500 pounds.

Officials have since closed the beach, and brought in trappers to try to catch the animal.

Asked whether he planned to go for a dip in Lake Toho again, James Barney Jr. replied: “Negative.”