Must See Video: Man saves dog from alligator

Research camera captures dramatic video - NBC's Joe Fryer reports

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (KYMA, KECY) - Some incredible video out of Florida shows the lengths one devoted dog owner was willing to go for his best friend.

It started when a wild encounter took a terrifying turn. Surveillance video shows the moment Richard Wilbanks jumped into action after an alligator grabbed his puppy, Gunner, and dragged the dog into the pond behind Wilbanks' home.

"Well, adrenaline kicked in and I just went right into the water after the gator and Gunner." said Wilbanks.

For more than 20-seconds, it was a wrestling match between man and gator. The man clenching a cigar in his mouth throughout the battle, his little dog's life on the line.

In the end, Wilbanks was able to pry Gunner from the small predator's grip, letting the dog say, later...gator.

"It was just a shock. It happened so fast that you know that instinct just took over." he said.

Three-month old Gunner managed to escape with on a small wound. Wilbanks walked away with some cuts on his hands.

"Everything is going through my mind. He said an alligator, and I said you got to be kidding me. I really did not grasp it." said Louise, Wilbanks' wife.

The dramatic rescue was captured as part of a research project. Residents living near wildlife habitats allow cameras to be placed in their backyards.

THE DRAMATIC RESCUE WAS CAPTURED AS PART OF a research PROJECT, where residents living near wildlife habitats allow cameras to be placed in their backyards.

"It's definitely not typical. It's not what we expected to see." said Meredith Budd, Regional Policy Director for the Florida Wildlife Federation.

The chance of a person being hurt by an unprovoked gator attack is still rare, about one in 3.1 million, which means you have a better chance of being struck by lightning.

Dogs are more likely to be attacked, since they look similar to alligator's prey.

"We just need to respect wildlife, understand our surroundings and take those precautions that we need to take in order to make sure something like this doesn't happen to anyone else." said Budd.

It's a lesson Gunner and his family are now taking to heart.