3 alligator encounters turn violent in week's span, leaving one woman dead in Florida
Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare, but authorities are reminding residents and visitors to take precautions around the reptiles.
FILE: Florida sheriff's deputies wrangle alligator on the loose
Two Lake County Sheriff's deputies were put to work catching and wrangling an alligator who was called in for "trespassing" in a residential area on April 14. Body camera video shows the officers capturing the gator with a rope, sitting on it to tape its mouth shut and dragging it out of the private property.
FLORIDA - Three people have been attacked by alligators in Central Florida over the past week, including one incident that was fatal.
YOUNG MAN DIES AFTER BEING ATTACKED BY CROCODILE NEAR RESORT AT POPULAR BEACH DESTINATION
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the first attack occurred on June 21 when a man came into contact with an alligator while on the Rainbow River in Marion County.
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and has since been released.
An alligator is seen at the Gator Park in the Florida Everglades May 17, 2006, in Miami-Dade County. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
Officials later trapped and removed the alligator, which measured more than eight feet long.
The second incident occurred on June 27 when the FWC received a report that a child was bitten on the hand by an alligator while fishing from shore at Nelson Fish Camp in Marion County.
The child was taken to a hospital to be treated for their injuries.
The over 8-foot alligator that was involved in the attack was trapped, authorities said.
The Everglades, Tamiami Trail, Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve, Alligator in Water. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
The third incident happened on June 28, when FWC and the Seminole County Sheriff's Office responded to an alligator attack on the Econlockhatchee River in the Little Big Econ State Forest.
The FWC said that a woman was swimming in the river when she was bitten by an alligator and suffered serious injuries.
YOUNG MAN DIES AFTER BEING ATTACKED BY CROCODILE NEAR RESORT AT POPULAR BEACH DESTINATION
She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she later died.
Large alligator eats small alligator on March 30, 2026 in wildlife park in Florida. (@chrisbhester7 via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Multiple agencies, along with an alligator trapper, responded to the scene. Trapping efforts remain ongoing.
Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare, but the FWC is reminding residents and visitors to take precautions around the reptiles.
GREAT WHITE SHARK QUINT ARRIVES AT KEY SEASONAL HABITAT NEAR CAPE COD
The agency recommends keeping a safe distance if one sees an alligator, keep pets on a leash and away from the water's edge, swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours, and never feed an alligator.
The FWC noted that anyone who has concerns about an alligator is encouraged to call FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).