Alligator Kills Man in Brazilian Amazon

R I O   D E   J A N E I R O, Brazil, Oct. 30 -- A 15-foot alligator attacked and killed a man who was skin diving in an Amazon River tributary, authorities said today.

Jose Sidney Chaves Pires, 37, died from deep wounds in his neckand stomach, Rondonia state policeman Ademar dos Santos said bytelephone from Porto Velho 1,800 miles (3,000 kilometers) northwestof Rio de Janeiro.

Tragic Trip

Santos said Pires, a police officer himself, was part of a groupthat had gone spear fishing near a lake created by a dam on theJamary River, some 30 miles from the state capitalof Porto Velho.

Members of the fishing group said they had seen some smallalligators along the river’s edge but only spotted the larger beastafter bubbles and blood rose from where Pires was diving.

After about 10 minutes, the alligator rose to the surface withhis jaws wrapped firmly around Pires’ neck.

“I didn’t know what to do, shoot the alligator or not, becauseI was afraid of wounding my brother,” the victim’s brotherWalterney Pires was quoted by the Estado news agency as saying.

It was only after members of the fishing party fired on thealligator with harpoons and Pires’ service revolver that the animalreleased the body.

Police are asking federal wildlife officials to ban fishing inthe area because of the rising number of alligator attacks. This isthe first time such an attack has been fatal.