In Martin County, Florida, the Sheriff’s Office reported a scary incident involving a 27-year-old woman surviving an alligator attack while swimming in the St. Lucie River on Wednesday.
The woman and her boyfriend had taken their boat to the South Fork River. As the woman was standing in waist-deep water holding her dog, an 11-foot alligator bit the woman’s hand. The gator then grabbed her and pulled her underwater before releasing her.
Once she was freed, the woman’s boyfriend drove to the boat ramp at Charlie Leighton Park. The woman was airlifted to a hospital. According to the sheriff’s office report, she has multiple broken bones and lacerations to her right hand and wrist. The boyfriend and dog were uninjured.
At this time, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are trying to find the gator.
So how do officials know which gator is responsible for the attack?
It is estimated there are 1.3 million alligators in Florida. They can be found in all 67 Florida counties and inhabit all freshwater and some brackish water bodies. The largest population of gators are in the Everglades National Park with an estimated 200,000 or more residing there.
Stay vigilant. We are all hoping for the woman’s complete recovery, however we do share the planet with other species.
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