NEED TO KNOW
- A woman survived an alligator attack during a swim in Florida waters, officials said
- The alligator bit her hand and wrist and pulled her underwater before releasing her
- First responders did not publicly identify the 27-year-old victim
A woman has survived an alligator attack during a swim in Florida waters, authorities say.
The 27-year-old victim, who has not been publicly identified, and her boyfriend had taken their boat out on the South Fork portion of the Saint Lucie River, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday, July 23.
“While in waist-deep water with their dog, an alligator bit the hand and wrist of the female and momentarily pulled her under,” a representative for the sheriff’s office said. “The gator released the female victim, at which point the boyfriend drove her to the boat ramp at Charlie Leighton Park.”
Authorities flew her to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce as a precaution. The sheriff’s office said her boyfriend and dog were not injured.
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Martin County Fire Rescue crews responded around 7:51 p.m. local time and treated the woman at the scene for serious injuries, a representative wrote in a statement.
The sheriff’s office added the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded and planned to have a trapper locate the alligator, although it’s unclear whether the animal has since been caught.
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