Woman Killed, Child Injured In FL Gator Attacks

A woman was killed and a child was injured in separate alligator attacks over the weekend in Central Florida, reports said.

The attacks came just a week after a 19-year-old Rainbow River snorkeler was hospitalized following a gator attack.

A 31-year-old woman died Sunday after being attacked by a gator while swimming with friends in the Little Big Econ River in Seminole County, WFTV 9 reported.

The attack happened around 1:30 p.m., near the Bar Street Trail, the report said. She was brought to a hospital with serious injuries and later died.

An alligator trapper responded to the area, but it’s not known if any gator was caught.

Hikers in the area told WESH that they were surprised by the attack.

"I've seen really big gators in here. I've never heard of an attack, though," Leia Vieira said.

Meanwhile, a gator bit the hand of a boy fishing from the shore at Nelson’s Fish Camp in Marion County on Saturday, News 6 reported.

After the child was brought to the hospital, an 8-foot, 7-inch-long alligator was found nearby and euthanized, WFLA said.

The attacks came well into gator mating season in Florida.

Courtship begins in April, followed by peak mating activity in May and June, FWC said.

The FWC also offers the following tips for safely co-existing with alligators:

• Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator and never feed them.
• Swim only in designated areas during daylight hours. Gators are most active between dusk and dawn.
• Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Never let them swim in fresh or brackish water.

See Also:

• FL Deputy With Cowboy Hat In Hand Wrangles Large Gator
• Woman Bitten By Gator While Swimming With Kids In FL Lake
• FL Man Bitten By 8-Foot Gator While Trying To Save His Dog
• Alligator Attack On Cow Prompts Closure Of Central FL Conservation Area
• 2 Gators Removed In Tampa As Mating Season Starts In FL
• Rainbow River Snorkeler Hospitalized In Alligator Attack