Current:Home > reviewsCrocodile attacks man in Everglades on same day alligator bites off hand near Orlando -Wealth Evolution Experts
Crocodile attacks man in Everglades on same day alligator bites off hand near Orlando
View
Date:2025-04-15 12:47:55
A man was injured after being in a rare crocodile attack in the Everglades National Park in Florida on the same day as another man lost his hand in an alligator attack outside Orlando.
A 68-year-old man capsized his boat and was swimming to shore at the Flamingo Marina in the Everglades when witnesses saw him go under water on Sunday, the National Park Service said in a Monday news release.
The man was able to get to safety, and park rangers immediately treated him for a cut on his leg. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition, the park service said.
“Rangers and park biologists are continuing to investigate the incident and monitor the suspected crocodile, which is easily identifiable,” the agency said.
Watch:9-foot crocodile closes Florida beach to swimmers in 'very scary' sighting
Are there crocodiles in Florida?
Yes! Florida is the only place in the U.S. that American crocodiles live in the wild, according to the wildlife commission.
They are considered a conservation success story, as the population has grown to about 2,000 since 1975, when there were only a few hundred living adults. It is still considered a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The crocodile tends to be shy and stick to brackish or salt water, one of its main differences with alligators, which live in fresh water. Crocodiles also tend to be greyish green with pointed snouts, while alligators tend to be black with rounded snouts, according to SeaWorld.
There are approximately 1.3 million alligators in Florida.
Florida man lost his hand in alligator attack
A man was airlifted to the hospital after a roughly 9-foot alligator bit off his hand while fishing in a retirement community outside of Orlando on Sunday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had not released the man's identity as of Monday, but a neighbor told the Daily Commercial, part of the USA TODAY Network, what she saw.
Sally Priest said she saw the man's arm in the alligator’s mouth and that the creature was rolling on the bank.
Experts call it a “death roll.”
Alligator attack:Creature bites off man's hand in Leesburg retirement community
Rescuers cut open gator to try to save detached hand
“I knew he was in trouble so I ran to call 911,” Priest said.
The alligator stopped its attack and went back into the water. A large crowd gathered to help the injured man.
His hand and part of his arm had been bitten off, she said.
A licensed trapper was called, who captured and killed the alligator. The gator was cut open so the victim's hand could be retrieved, but one of the rescue workers speculated that it could not be reattached.
“I feel so bad for the man,” Priest said.
veryGood! (51)
Related
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Yankees match longest losing streak since 1982 with ninth straight setback
- Watch the astonishing moment this dog predicts his owner is sick before she does
- Big 12 college football conference preview: Oklahoma, Texas ready to ride off into sunset
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Halle Berry and Ex Olivier Martinez Officially Finalize Divorce After Nearly 8-Year Legal Battle
- New York City Mayor Eric Adams responds to migrant crisis criticism: Everything is on the table
- Cape Cod strands more dolphins than anywhere else. Now they’re getting their own hospital
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- These 12 Sites With Fast Shipping Are Perfect for Last-Minute Shopping
Ranking
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Theodore Roosevelt presidential library taking shape in North Dakota Badlands
- Gov. Evers creates task force to study AI’s affect on Wisconsin workforce
- Hurricanes and tropical storms are damaging homes. Here's how to deal with your insurance company.
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Amber Heard avoids jail time for alleged dog smuggling in Australia after charges dropped
- New York golfer charged with animal cruelty after goose killed with golf club
- Public Enemy, Ice-T to headline free D.C. concerts, The National Celebration of Hip Hop
Recommendation
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
North Dakota Gov. Burgum may miss GOP presidential debate after hurting himself playing basketball
Tom Sandoval Seeks Punishment for Raquel Leviss Affair in Brutal Special Forces Trailer
Olga Carmona scored Spain's historic winning goal at the Women's World Cup — and then found out her father had died
$73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
Lawsuit settled over widespread abuse of former students at shuttered West Virginia boarding school
Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin appears in first video since short-lived mutiny in Russia
Body cam video shows police finding woman chained to bedroom floor in Louisville, Kentucky