Florida Woman Attacked By Alligator After Falling Into Canal
ST. PETERSBURG (CBSMiami) — A homeless Florida woman was rushed to the hospital on Monday morning when she fell into a canal and was attacked by an alligator.
According to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue officials, the woman was resting along a seawall around 6:00 a.m. when she apparently fell into the water.
Someone heard her cries for help and called 911.
The woman, who is in her 50s, was taken to a hospital with severe injuries to her arms, officials said.
She was reported to be in stable condition.
After that, trappers did manage to capture a large gator from the canal, but it's still not known whether this is the alligator that attacked the woman.
Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) for gators that are believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property.
An alligator interacting with humans is deemed a nuisance if it is at least 4 feet long.
Most alligators are naturally afraid of humans but may lose that fear when people feed them, according to the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline is 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
