Gator-mania simply won't go away

GOOSE CREEK — Jerome Bien has been screening his calls ever since he took graphic photos Sunday of a Summerville man who lost his arm to an alligator.

He received 50 phone calls Monday alone from news outlets all over the country and Europe. All wanted the same thing: photos. Some were offering cash.

Bien said no to them all.

"I don't want to profit from anyone's misfortune," he said.

The story has become an international event. The Post and Courier has received dozens of requests for photos and interviews since it published some of the photographs in the newspaper and on charleston.net.

The Medical University of South Carolina, where victim Bill Hedden is in fair condition, has received interview requests from California to Europe. His family has declined all interviews.

Jo Masauding, one of five local nurses who cared for Hedden until paramedics arrived Sunday at Lake Moultrie, said having her image on CNN every hour Monday was enough. She also turned down offers of money for photographs she took.

"I don't even check my other (home) phone anymore," she said. "There's so many calls."

Kirk Stone, an associate professor of communications at the College of Charleston, said the international attention the story has garnered is an indication of the world's obsession with "infotainment."

"Before you know it, villages thousands of miles away will know about the alligator attack," Stone said. "With the issues we're dealing with like high medical costs, speed is not what we need, but more depth in reporting."

Stone said local coverage is understandable because alligator attacks are a local issue, while the international media's interest in the story and graphic photos is purely sensational, he said.

"They're just looking for something bizarre or unusual. I think it's unfortunate to make it a 'My God, look at this, you're not going to believe it' story."

Ronald Russell of Gator Getter Consultants, the contractor who captured and killed the 11-foot, 10-inch reptile, said he's received calls from all over the state. That has had its downside.

When he incorrectly told reporters Wednesday that Hedden asked for the alligator's head, the story was widely reported. Russell said Thursday that when officers asked him to donate the mounted gator head to Hedden, he wrongly assumed that Hedden asked for it.

"It's my fault, 100 percent," he said. "But the offer's still there if he wants it."

Russell said he doesn't think the interest in the story will go away anytime soon. "A story like this, no one wants to let go of it," he said. "Especially here in South Carolina. Until now I don't think a lot of people knew we had a lot of gators in South Carolina."

Anna Martin, a media relations coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources, said her phones have been ringing constantly.

"It's such a unique incident and one that's never happened before in South Carolina," she said.

Reach Andy Paras at 745-5891 or at aparas@postandcourier.com.