florida

Well, we've got a new candidate for Time's person of the year. Or at least the badassof the year. We just don't know their identity. 

In a move that can be described as "sick," "dope," and "really f*cking cool," an impatient driver in Daytona Beach, Florida, decided to take a risk and drive over a rising drawbridge instead of waiting with all the sheep who would prefer to abide by the law. The spectacle was caught on camera, and seriously looks like something out of an action movie.

While we were hoping this daredevil would come out of this scot-free, the stunt was not well-received by police, who believe they've identified our new hero. Though this may be the most talked about instance of Evel Knievel-ry, it seems like jumping over drawbridges is a "Florida Man" trait. A motorcyclist made the dramatic leap last month, and we've even seen footage of a dude running over a bridge with JUST HIS FEET. It's true that these shows of cojones are dangerous and sometimes deadly, so while we're celebrating this instance of success, we must urge you not to try this yourself. Thanks to the videos below, you can enjoy the thrill (and some entertaining reactions) from home. 

We've asked this before and we're gonna ask it again: what the actual f*ck is in Florida's water supply? Like, is it some sort of radioactive sh*t? Florida Man might as well be the name of a superhero at this point - a superhero that does absolutely nothing useful but entertain us.

Though it's been a while since we last covered the antics of "Florida Man," the meme is still very much alive. Just take it from President Barack Obama, who namechecked the meme during his speech at FIU this past Saturday. After criticizing the current president's penchant for insulting his opponents and suggesting people inject bleach, Obama proceeded to roast Donald Trump:

"That's not normal behavior. Florida. You wouldn't tolerate it from a coworker. You wouldn't tolerate it from a high school principal. You wouldn't tolerate it from a coach. You won't tolerate it from a family member. Florida man wouldn't even do this stuff."

While some may find the joke to be a tasteless mockery of Floridians, most of us know that the meme is in good fun. Who doesn't enjoy reading about ludicrous, imaginative crimes that almost seem fake? Sensitive dullards, that's who. For everyone else, we've put together a solid roundup  of fresh Floridian insanity, with the help of @daily.florida.man. If you're looking for more, we suggest following the account. We're willing to bet Florida Man won't be calming down anytime soon.  

Residents of Florida really make it easy to make fun of the sunny southern state. We mean no disrespect, but these Florida Man headlines and dragging memes are endlessly entertaining. Florida is kind of like that little brother that you love but can't help but poke fun at. If you like these memes and headlines, there's more where that came from.

Richard Wilbanks, a 74-year-old man from Florida had his instinct take over when his 3-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Gunner, was grabbed from an alligator and dragged under the water. 

The scary moment took place in Wilbanks' backyard pond in Estero, and the moment Wilbanks jumped into the pond to rescue Gunner was recorded on a surveillance camera. The dramatic footage reveals Wildbanks waist-deep in the pond as he wrestles with the gator's jaws to free his dog Gunner from them. 

Wilbanks describes the terrifying moment to CNN, "We were just out walking by the pond and it came out of the water like a missile. I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick. I just automatically jumped into the water." He also added that opening up the gator's jaw was "extremely hard" and that his hands were left "chewed up" afterward. He also added that he went to the doctor afterwards for a tetanus shot. And Gunner was of course taken to the vet after the incident where he was treated for one puncture wound in his belly.

Thanks to Wilbanks courage and rescue without hesitation, his adorable pup Gunner is doing just fine. From now on, Wilbanks will be keeping Gunner on a leash and far away from the water's edge. 

"Our pets, they're just like family to us," Wilbanks concluded. 

Story via Insider

We hope everyone is having a wonderful (and safe) 4th of July weekend! As many animal lovers already know, when it comes to the 4th of July celebrations, the loud bangs by the fireworks can absolutely terrify those poor pups. Well, one amazing county is doing their part for their dogs and their community. The Brevard County Sherrif's Office, Florida, had county jail inmates comforting dogs at the animal care center, during the 4th of July fireworks. 

How amazing is that?

This is so wonderful for both sides. According to the original post by the sheriff's office on Facebook, "What originally started as a suggestion by a number of our citizens turned into an amazing idea to help calm our homeless pets, so tomorrow night, for the second year in a row our Chain Gang and other work crews will be comforting the dogs at the Animal Care Center by reading to them, playing with them, and even feeding them treats during the peak hours of celebration on Independence Day."

The overall goal? Not only to calm those terrified dogs during the peak hours of fireworks but to help build and "instill a sense of purpose and compassion in the inmates that will hopefully aid them as they transition back into society once they have served their time."

Just a beautiful idea all around. Kudos to Brevard County Sheriff for taking on such a wonderful initiative! 

Unfortunately, there are no surfaced photos of the event as of yet but it's too lovely of a story not to share! 

Winter made its way over to Florida, and let's just say that the Floridians were not ready for the colder temperatures. Things like having to hunt down a suitable coat, amidst iguanas literally falling from trees have made for quite the wild predicament. 

Only in Florida... As temperatures drop to unusually low levels across south Florida this week, the National Weather Service warned residents to keep an eye to the sky. "Don't be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s," the NWS said. Iguanas, which are cold-blooded lizards, slow down and stiffen up when temperatures drop to a certain level. It's at this point they tend to lose grip of trees. The NWS urged Floridians that while they may be stiff and motionless, the displaced iguanas are not dead"

Thanks to some interesting laws that make it way easier to get ahold of arrest records, there are a disproportionate amount of wacky crime stories that come out of Florida. So now we have Florida Man. He's not the hero we necessarily want or need, but he is the hero who we certainly deserve.

Thank you, U.S. Coast Guard for being there and caring for all living things! 

Off the coast of Florida, the crew stationed at Fort Byers received a call of a pup in distress and jumped into action! 

In a dramatic video, shared on the U.S. Coast Guard Twitter page, you see the boat carefully pull up alongside the stranded pup who is struggling to stay above water. The crew was able to reel the dog onto their boat and delivery the pooch back to shore -- and back to the owner. 

Story via NY Post