Florida - A Florida man recently saved the day for an injured bald eagle whose life was in danger. Here's how the daring animal rescue went down!

When 69-year-old Doug Hay and his wife heard something crashing into the lake adjacent to his property, they went to investigate the cause of the noise.

As he told FOX 13, he discovered a badly injured bald eagle in the middle of the water, desperately trying to stay afloat with its wings.

Seeing another eagle circling above, Doug suspects that the two birds were fighting with each other before one of them fell into the water.

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But instead of being safe from his attacker, the bald eagle found another danger lurking in the lake.

That's because, according to Doug, at least one alligator had been calling it home for some time.

When he realized what a critical situation the bird was in, Doug waded into the water and swam towards it in hopes of saving its life.

In a now-viral video, Doug's wife captures her husband's arduous journey back to shore.

At various points in the encounter, the animal thrashed and clawed at his arms. Regardless, the brave rescuer remained undeterred.

Initially, the couple had hoped the eagle would recover under its own power and fly away, but when it became clear that its injuries were too serious, they called wildlife rescue.

The Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida is now caring for the bald eagle, which is healing from injuries to its chest area.

Doug also suffered some wounds from his rescue operation, but said he doesn't regret saving the critter and always saves animals when he can.

"This is the symbol of America, man," he said.