Woman Bitten By Gator While Swimming With Kids In FL Lake

INVERNESS, FL — A mother is recovering after she was bitten by an alligator while swimming with her children at an Inverness park over Memorial Day weekend, multiple reports said.

The woman was swimming at Wallace Brooks Park with her kids on Saturday evening when she was bitten on the leg around 6:15 p.m., according to Tampa Bay 28.

The park is located on Henderson Lake and the nearby Cooter Lake, the Citrus County Chronicle said.

A caller told dispatchers that they could still see the 8-foot gator in the water as Citrus County Sheriff’s Office deputies were responding to the park, WFLA reported.

The 24-year-old daughter of the victim, Nikki Weber, wrapped a tourniquet around her leg after pulling her from the water, reports said.

Weber was brought to a hospital for treatment. She suffered severe nerve damage, which will require multiple surgeries, according to reports.

The park is closed as a nuisance alligator trapper searches for the animal.

The attack 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
• 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