Florida woman killed by alligator while swimming in shallow river
A 31-year-old woman from Orlando died after an alligator attacked her in the Econlockhatchee River, and authorities captured two large gators at the scene.
A 31-year-old Orlando resident was attacked by a 12-foot alligator while swimming with friends in the Econlockhatchee River on June 28. The incident occurred in water only about three feet deep, and the animal seized the woman's arm before performing a "death roll," according to a medical examiner’s report. Her boyfriend attempted to free her, pulling both underwater before the alligator released them. Emergency responders arrived after a 911 call, and CPR was administered on shore, but the woman was pronounced dead.
Friends described the victim as a caring and adventurous person. Her brother said she enjoyed outdoor activities such as dirt biking and wakeboarding. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the state Department of Forestry responded to the scene. Officers located a 13-foot alligator at the attack site and a second 12.5-foot alligator nearby; both were captured and euthanized, and tissue samples were taken for investigation.
The agency expressed condolences to the family and noted that the attack was the third alligator incident in Central Florida within a week, following a juvenile gator bite on a child in Marion County and an earlier attack on a man in the Rainbow River.
