A Florida woman has died in an alligator attack in the Econlockhatchee River
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A 31-year-old woman died Sunday after an alligator bit her arms while swimming with friends in the Econlockhatchee River in Central Florida, the latest in a string of attacks that have also left a child injured and prompted the state to warn of the dangers and urge reports of “nuisance alligators.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued emergency warnings Monday that alligators that have come to “bring people together” for food should be reported immediately and “removed from the wild.”
Sunday’s attack, described in a 911 call, was the second alligator attack in 24 hours in Central Florida and the third reported in the region in a week, according to FWC officials.
“It’s bad, really bad please, hurry … you’re losing a lot … please hurry … ” said a shocked 911 operator, according to emergency calls obtained by local media on Monday. “A man was bitten by a gator….”
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The Little Big Econlockhatchee Wildlife Management Area has been the site of a series of deadly alligator attacks that have alerted Florida officials to the fast-tracking alligators that have developed a taste for human flesh. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group)
The FWC said the woman was swimming near the Barr Street Trailhead in the Little Big Econ State Forest. He was taken to the hospital for a trauma report and later died from his injuries, officials said. His name was not released Monday.
“The FWC extends its deepest sympathies to the victim’s family and loved ones at this difficult time,” FWC press secretary Ashlee Brahier Sklute told Fox News Digital in a statement.
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Braden Peters allegedly shot and killed a dead alligator in the Francis Taylor Everglades Wildlife Management Area in the Florida Everglades on March 26. (Stock)
FWC officers, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and a detective responded to the river.
“Multiple agencies and a contracted alligator trapper also responded to the scene,” Sklute said, detailing the ongoing investigation. “Entrapment efforts are ongoing.”
The killing occurred one day after a child was bitten on the hand by an alligator while fishing off the coast of Nelson Fish Camp near Umatilla in Marion County, the FWC said. The child was taken to a hospital for treatment, and an FWC officer later captured and killed the alligator, which was 8 feet, 7 inches long, according to the FWC.
Last week, a snorkeler was bitten by an alligator in the Rainbow River in Marion County, prompting officials to temporarily close the waterway while FWC and deputies searched for the animal. Authorities later released the 8-meter crocodile, and the smuggler was released from the hospital.
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The FWC says serious alligator injuries are rare, but the agency warns that alligators are active throughout Florida, especially during the courtship and mating season in the spring and early summer. Florida is home to about 1.3 million alligators, and the animals live in all 67 counties, according to the FWC.
“The FWC prioritizes public safety and administers the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) to address complaints about certain alligators believed to be dangerous to people, pets or property,” the agency wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“People with alligator concerns should call the FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286),” they said. “If someone concerned about an alligator calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, we will send one of our contracted alligator trappers to resolve the situation.”
A few safety recommendations for people who come into contact with an alligator, according to the FWC: “Keep a safe distance” and “keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge.”
“Pets are often the natural prey of alligators,” the FWC warns. “swim in designated swimming areas only during the day and without your pet. Crocodiles are most active between dusk and dawn.”
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Also, “never feed an alligator; it’s illegal and dangerous.”
“If fed, alligators can lose their natural awareness and instead learn to associate people with food availability,” FWC said. “This can lead to the crocodile becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.”
