Two alligator snorkeling attacks reported the same week in Florida
Two people were injured by alligators in separate incidents within the same week at a recreation center in Florida.
On Nov. 1 the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to reports of a 79-year-old man who received minor injuries to his hand and head following an encounter with an alligator while snorkeling at Alexander Springs in Lake County, the agency said in a statement.
The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment and a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer and an alligator trapper responded to the scene, officials said.
Then days later, on Nov. 5, officials responded to another incident, this time regarding a 20-year-old woman who was bitten by an alligator also while snorkeling at Alexander Springs in Lake County, according to officials.
The woman was taken to a local hospital where she received treatment for minor injuries, officials said.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer and an alligator trapper removed a 9-foot male alligator from the water, according to officials.
A photographer happened to be at the scene and captured snapshots of the aftermath of the incident.
Fox 35 Orlando posted the images, which show the young woman with a bleeding forehead grabbing her snorkeling gear. In one of the more stunning images the alligator appears to be lurking behind the unsuspecting pair.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that alligators seldom bite people and deaths from alligator bites are even more rare. From 1948 to 2022, 453 unprovoked bite incidents occurred in Florida, with 26 of those bites resulting in human fatalities, the agency said.
"The likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only one in 3.1 million," the agency said.