A woman, aged 31, tragically lost her life after being attacked by an alligator while cooling off in a river near Orlando, Florida. The incident occurred as she was hiking with her partner and friend at the Econlockhatchee River. The alligator suddenly attacked, latching onto both of the woman’s arms in the shallow waters. Despite her boyfriend’s efforts to free her, one of her arms was torn off, and the other severely injured.
According to wildlife official Grant Eller, the attack happened around 1:30 pm while the group was kneeling in the river. The boyfriend called emergency services while struggling to save the woman from the alligator’s grip. In a distressing call obtained by NBC News, the frantic situation was described with screams and cries for help.
During the call, a witness reported that both of the woman’s arms were severely injured, with one barely attached and the other completely gone. Despite the desperate attempts to save her, the woman succumbed to her injuries before reaching the hospital. Authorities have not released the victim’s identity pending notification of her family.
In response to the incident, Seminole County sheriff’s deputies removed two large alligators from the area with the help of a professional trapper. Both alligators, measuring 13 and 12 feet in length, were captured for DNA analysis to identify the aggressor. This tragic event is one of several recent alligator attacks in central Florida, as the creatures become more territorial after mating season.
