Alligator kills woman canoeing on a central Florida lake

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that an alligator killed a lady in a boat on Lake Kissimmee late in the afternoon on May 6.

The lady was assaulted shortly after 4 p.m. in the mouth of Tiger Creek, near Lake Kissimmee, some 70 miles south of Orlando, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

According to the agency, the woman was canoeing when she encountered the alligator and ended herself on the lake.  She was subsequently discovered dead in the sea. The FWC did not name the woman or provide any other information. It stated further information will be revealed during a news conference on May 7 at its Tampa headquarters.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office responded with deputies, a helicopter, and a marine unit. In an earlier press release, the PCSO stated that two persons were kayaking on the lake when one was attacked by an alligator.

This is the second alligator attack in two months in the same region near Lake Kissimmee. On March 3, a woman was bitten on the elbow in the same creek that links Tiger Lake to Lake Kissimmee.

In a 2023 alligator census performed yearly by the FWC, Lake Kissimmee placed fifth in the state for gator population, with an estimated 2,065 gators. Eight Polk County lakes are among the state's best alligator habitats.