Florida alligator attacks leave woman dead, two injured

Florida wildlife officials are urging people to stay alert around rivers and lakes after three alligator attacks in just over a week left a woman dead and two others injured, including a minor.

The fatal attack happened Sunday in the Econlockhatchee River near the Barr Street Trailhead in Little Big Econ State Forest in Seminole County, about 25 miles northeast of Orlando. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said a 31-year-old woman from Orlando was swimming when an alligator bit her, causing serious injuries. She was taken to a hospital but died on the way, officials said.

FWC public information officer Chad Weber called it an “incredibly tragic incident” and said the woman had been hiking with her boyfriend before they stopped to swim in about 3 feet of water.

“It doesn’t seem they were doing anything malicious,” Weber said at a Monday briefing. “They were in approximately 3ft of water.”

The woman’s boyfriend witnessed the attack and tried to free her, Weber said. “He was trying to get her from the alligator’s mouth,” he said. “On the way to the hospital, she did pass away from her injuries.”

A recording of a 911 call obtained by Orlando NBC affiliate WESH captured the severity of the attack. “Both her arms are dislocated – off basically,” the caller said. “One arm is completely off.”

The FWC said multiple agencies and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper responded to the scene. The Guardian reported that officials removed and euthanized two alligators, measuring 12 feet and 13 feet, and sent them for DNA testing. CBS News reported that efforts to trap the alligator involved in the fatal attack were ongoing. The woman’s name had not been released pending notification of relatives.

“We offer our condolences to this young lady’s family,” Weber said. In a separate statement, the FWC said it “extends its deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the victim during this difficult time.”

The fatal attack followed two incidents in Marion County. On June 21, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office closed the Rainbow River after deputies said a snorkeler was bitten. The river was closed while authorities helped the FWC locate the alligator involved, then reopened. The Guardian reported that an 8-foot, 3-inch alligator was removed from the Rainbow River in Dunnellon after the bite and that the man who was snorkeling was discharged from a hospital after treatment.

Less than a week later, the FWC said it received a report that a juvenile was bitten in the hand by an alligator while fishing from shore at Nelson Fish Camp in Marion County. The victim was taken to a hospital. The Guardian reported the boy was fishing with his father, was not from Florida and was not seriously hurt. The FWC said a law enforcement officer removed and killed the 8-foot, 7-inch alligator.

Alligator attacks on people are rare in Florida, according to the FWC, which tracks encounters with the state’s estimated 1.3 million alligators. The commission reported in 2022 an average of about eight unprovoked alligator bites each year and 26 fatalities since 1948, The Guardian reported.

Weber said people near water in Florida need to remember that alligators can be present anywhere in the state.

“We have alligators in all 67 counties,” he said. “Every body of water could have the potential to have an alligator. There is some risk when you swim.”

The FWC says alligator courtship begins in early April, with mating typically occurring in May and June. During that period, alligators are more active and may travel outside their usual habitats. Weber also cited low water levels after a lengthy drought and the end of mating season as possible factors, while saying investigators could not yet pinpoint the cause.

“With the low water levels that we have, we are coming into the end of mating season,” he said. “The alligators become very territorial. It’s really hard to pinpoint what the exact reason was.”

Wildlife officials advise people to keep a safe distance from alligators, never feed them, swim only in designated areas during daylight hours and keep pets leashed and at least 10 feet from the water’s edge. Anyone concerned about an alligator can call the FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286.