Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Man charged after botched castration attempt at his Florida home

Gary Van Ryswyk 'dropped the ball on this one', Sheriffs say. 

Lily Puckett
New York
Wednesday 21 August 2019 00:33 BST
Comments
Gary Van Ryswyk told investigators he had performed a similar operation on himself.
Gary Van Ryswyk told investigators he had performed a similar operation on himself. (Highlands County Sheriff's Office)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Investigators described the case as "kinda nuts" after they charged a man who performed a botched castration on another man at his Florida home.

Gary Van Ryswyk, 74, had "dropped the ball on this one," the Highlands County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Facebook post after they charged him with the second-degree felony of practising medicine without a license resulting in bodily injury.

Officers attended his home in the city of Sebring after someone hung up a 911 call from the property, the post said.

Once they arrived, he explained that he had attempted to remove the testicles of a 53-year-old man he had met a week earlier on a dark web website "for people who have a castration fetish".

"He told the victim that he had experience on animals and had even removed one of his own testicles in 2012," the post said.

It added: "Deputies found the man on the bed with a towel over his groin, which was bleeding heavily. Nearby, there was a pink container which held two body parts that had recently been much closer to the victim. The victim was taken to the hospital and was later flown to a regional medical center. He is listed in stable condition."

It is unclear whether his testicles were reattached.

Mr Van Ryswyk told Sheriffs that he had attempted and failed a similar operation with a different man several years ago, in a motel. He also claimed to have removed one of his own testicles in 2012.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Investigators found a section of him home organised as “makeshift surgical room,” including medical equipment, and painkillers purchased online from England, the Facebook post said, adding that he also had a camera set up to record the procedure.

Mr Van Ryswyk is currently being held in jail on a $250,000 (£205,000) bond.

The Sheriffs said that most 911 hang up calls "don’t make the cut when it comes to being memorable", but "this one will definitely hang around in the memory for a while."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in