I think OP is misremembering a story where a drunk Texan jumps in a lake full of gators and promptly gets eaten.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/thomas-golianopoulos/fuck-that-gator

Not scared of gators as most around here are slightly smaller than me, won't attack. But fuck me, a 10-FOOTER?!

Saw one at the local swamp for the first time! Knew there had to be one in there but never got eyes on it.