- Corina Cox, 37, was walking her dog Pokey in Kissame, FL, after the storm
- She was filming her pet on her phone as he swam in the water
- The alligator then emerged from the water dangerously close to the dog
A curious dog narrowly escaped the jaws of death when an alligator popped up next to him as he swam in floodwaters caused by Hurricane Irma.
Corina Cox, 37, was evacuated from her home in Kissame, Florida, after the storm hit and had taken her dog, Pokey, to stretch his legs and enjoy a swim in the storm waters.
But they did not know that a hungry alligator was looking for its next meal in the area.
The alligator emerges from the water right next to Pokey causing his owner to get him out as quickly as possible
Pokey the dog swims in floodwaters as an alligator (circled) lurks in the distance
Ms Cox said: ‘I was looking through my phone directly at Pokey and not watching my surroundings at all.
‘It looks like Pokey saw it and jumped out to see what it was, it must have startled the alligator.’
Pokey makes his way into the water before the alligator can be seen appearing above the surface just inches away from the pup.
Corina said: ‘When I saw the gator pop up next to him I just started pulling in his retractable leash as fast as possible.
‘It scared me so much that I couldn’t stand up and had jelly legs crawling up to the house.
The hound goes further out into the waters while still attached to a lead
Pokey and his owner Corina Cox had been evacuated from their home as Hurricane Irma hit
‘The gator stayed there for about an hour till the wind started to pick up from Irma.
‘I imagine he was waiting for him to come back so he could eat him.
‘I definitely learned a lesson on many levels.’