Woman Rescued After Gator Takes Bite Out Inflatable Boat
LOXAHATCHEE (CBSMiami/AP) — A woman had a close encounter of the alligator kind Saturday afternoon in the Everglades aafter it bit her inflatable boat which caused it to sink.
The woman was floating on an inflatable boat in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge west of Boynton Beach when the gator attacked the raft, according to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.
At 12:16 p.m. authorities responded to reports of a woman being attacked by an alligator, but later discovered she had been on a boat that was bitten by the gator.
"Due to the remoteness of the location, firefighters utilized an airboat to reach the woman," said Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Albert Borroto.
The woman, who will not be identified due to privacy concerns, was evaluated at the scene. She was not injured, but she was "shaken up" by the attack, Borroto said. Fire crews transported her back to dry land.
The wildlife refuge is the last northernmost portion of the Everglades. The area where the woman was found is popular for canoes, kayaks and hikers and the wildlife is very abundant, Borroto said.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Loxahatchee Refuge consists of more than 200 square miles of Everglades habitat. It is home to the American alligator and the endangered Everglade snail kite.
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