A 31-year-old woman has died after an alligator bit off one of her arms and severely injured the other while she was hiking in a Florida state forest. The attack occurred on Sunday afternoon in Little Big Eco State Forest in Orlando, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Attack Details
The victim was hiking with her boyfriend and her best friend when they entered the Econlockhatchee River to cool off, said Grant Eller, a lieutenant with the FWC, as quoted by NBC News. While in the water, an alligator attacked the woman, biting off one arm and leaving the other hanging by a thread. A recording of the 911 call obtained by NBC News captured screams and crying in the background. In the call, a female told the dispatcher, “OK, both her arms, both her arms, both her arms are off, like, basically.” When the dispatcher asked if her arms were still attached, the caller replied, “One of them is, like, very hanging on [by a] thread, and the other was off.” Asked where the other arm was, she said, “Gone.”
Victim and Response
The victim, who lived in Orlando, died at the scene, Lt. Eller confirmed. Her family lives out of state, and she has not yet been publicly identified. Two alligators were spotted near the scene: one 13 feet long and another 12 feet long. DNA tests are ongoing to determine which alligator was responsible. The cause of the attack remains unknown.
Context and Warnings
Lt. Eller noted that “alligators are very territorial this time of year.” The attack occurred near the Barr Street Trailhead, which was closed on Monday. According to the FWC, serious injuries from alligators are rare in Florida. However, NBC News reported that this was the third alligator attack in Central Florida in the past seven days and the second in the past 24 hours.
