Current:Home > MarketsCrocodile attacks man in Everglades on same day alligator bites off hand near Orlando-LoTradeCoin
Crocodile attacks man in Everglades on same day alligator bites off hand near Orlando
View Date:2025-01-11 13:23:59
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! (9864)
Related
- KFC sues Church's Chicken over 'original recipe' fried chicken branding
- The Red Sea Could be a Climate Refuge for Coral Reefs
- Micellar Water You’ll Dump Makeup Remover Wipes For From Bioderma, Garnier & More
- Hey Now, Hilary Duff’s 2 Daughters Are All Grown Up in Sweet Twinning Photo
- Disease could kill most of the ‘ohi‘a forests on Hawaii’s Big Island within 20 years
- Texas woman Tierra Allen, social media's Sassy Trucker, trapped in Dubai after arrest for shouting
- Margot Robbie Just Put a Red-Hot Twist on Her Barbie Style
- Vanderpump Rules' Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval Spotted Filming Season 11 Together After Scandal
- Mike Tyson concedes the role of villain to young foe in 58-year-old’s fight with Jake Paul
- From Gas Wells to Rubber Ducks to Incineration, the Plastics Lifecycle Causes ‘Horrific Harm’ to the Planet and People, Report Shows
Ranking
- Georgia's humbling loss to Mississippi leads college football winners and losers for Week 11
- Lisa Marie Presley’s Cause of Death Revealed
- Mama June Shannon Gives Update on Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell’s Cancer Battle
- Q&A: California Drilling Setback Law Suspended by Oil Industry Ballot Maneuver. The Law’s Author Won’t Back Down
- Burt Bacharach, composer of classic songs, will have papers donated to Library of Congress
- Women Are Less Likely to Buy Electric Vehicles Than Men. Here’s What’s Holding Them Back
- Nikki and Brie Garcia Share the Story Behind Their Name Change
- Look Out, California: One of the Country’s Largest Solar Arrays is Taking Shape in… Illinois?
Recommendation
-
NASCAR Championship race live updates, how to watch: Cup title on the line at Phoenix
-
Boat crashes into Lake of the Ozarks home, ejecting passengers and injuring 8
-
US Emissions of the World’s Most Potent Greenhouse Gas Are 56 Percent Higher Than EPA Estimates, a New Study Shows
-
Logan Paul's Company Prime Defends Its Energy Drink Amid Backlash
-
As the transition unfolds, Trump eyes one of his favorite targets: US intelligence
-
Wildfire Smoke May Worsen Extreme Blazes Near Some Coasts, According to New Research
-
Maryland Embraces Gradual Transition to Zero-Emissions Trucks and Buses
-
Get a $65 Deal on $212 Worth of Sunscreen: EltaMD, Tula, Supergoop, La Roche-Posay, and More