Alligator Attacks, Kills Florida Woman
Posted 2025-05-19 by
The woman was canoeing with her husband when the attack occurred
A man tried unsuccessfully to save his wife from an alligator attack that occured while they were canoeing on a lake in Central Florida. (Photo by ranchorunner)
A large alligator attacked and killed a woman who was canoeing on a Central Florida Lake with her husband, who tried to save her.
According to CBS News, the attack occurred on May 6, 2025, near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee. It’s close to the same location where an alligator bit a woman on the elbow in March.
During a news conference, Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) Maj. Evan Laskowski said the woman was sitting in the bow of a 14-foot canoe when she and her husband, who was sitting in the stern, passed over a large alligator in about 2.5 feet of water.
"The alligator thrashed and tipped the canoe over. Both individuals ended up in the water," Laskowski said. "She ended up on top of the alligator in the water and was bitten. Her husband attempted to intervene but was unsuccessful."
The woman was later recovered from the water and declared dead. Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies and marine units assisted with the search and recovery.
Laskowski said nuisance alligator trappers were called to the scene later that night, where they trapped two alligators, one measuring more than 11 feet and the other measuring approximately 10 to 11 feet.
According to FWC data, there’ve been 487 unprovoked alligator bites from 1948 through 2024. Of those, 339 were major bites and 27 were fatal.
The most recent fatal alligator attack occurred in February, 2023 when an 85-year-old woman was killed while walking her dog along a community pond in Fort Pierce. Earlier that year, an alligator bit off a 23-year-old man’s arm in an attack near a pond behind a bar in Port Charlotte.
"While alligator attacks resulting in fatalities are extremely rare, this tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the powerful wildlife that share our natural spaces," said Roger Young, the FWC executive director. "Be cautious of your surroundings. Know what wildlife is in the area."
