An alligator has attacked and killed a 61-year-old woman who was canoeing at a Florida lake with her husband on Tuesday.
The incident occurred at the mouth of Tiger Creek on Lake Kissimmee, a popular attraction for camping, birding and boating south of Orlando. The woman was a Florida resident identified by an officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement Southwest Region as
.
Diekema and her husband were in a 14-foot canoe in an area of the lake that was only around two and a half feet deep, FWC Maj. Evan Laskowski said at
. The canoe floated over the large reptile.
“The alligator thrashed and tipped the canoe over and both individuals ended up in the water,” he said, adding that Diekema was in the bow of the boat. “She ended up on top of the alligator in the water and was bitten. Her husband attempted to intervene but was unsuccessful.”
Out of respect for the family, Laskowski said he would not reveal details about how she was killed. However, some time after the incident, her body was spotted via helicopter and recovered by authorities.
Since Tuesday’s fatal attack, nuisance alligator trappers have recovered two large alligators in the same area. One of the gators was 11 feet and four inches long, while the other was between 10 and 11 feet. Trappers remained at the scene on Wednesday, said Laskowski.
Authorities said that it was not believed to be a predatory incident. An eyewitness account indicated that “the canoe drifted over the alligator so it seems to be a surprise,” FWC executive director Roger Young said on Wednesday.
He added that the “alligator was startled” but it was “premature to speculate.”
The investigation is ongoing, he said, which includes removing alligators from the immediate area “so we can be certain that we have the alligator that was involved.”
He said that there would be evidence to connect an individual alligator to the incident.
“Florida is a beautiful state. We encourage to get out into our wildlife and enjoy our wilderness areas but we always do that with a layer of, ‘Be cautious with your surroundings. Be aware of where you are. Be aware of the wildlife that’s in the area. Look for signs. Keep your distance from them.’”
Alligator attacks are still considered extremely rare, he said. According to the FWC, there are approximately
in Florida.
In March, a fisherman in Florida lost his hand after an alligator attacked him,
. The alligator was euthanized by the FWC.
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