Current:Home > ContactCrocodile attacks man in Everglades on same day alligator bites off hand near Orlando -Excel Wealth Summit
Crocodile attacks man in Everglades on same day alligator bites off hand near Orlando
View
Date:2025-04-20 03:00:29
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! (6)
Related
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- New Jersey Devils to name Sheldon Keefe as head coach, multiple reports say
- Psst! Michael Kors Is Having a Memorial Day Sale on Sale, With an Extra 20% off Dreamy Summer Bags & More
- Mega Millions winning numbers for May 21 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $453 million
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Sky's Kamilla Cardoso eyes return against Caitlin Clark, Fever on June 1
- Are you worried about the high prices we're paying? Biden’s tariffs will make it worse.
- Jennifer Lopez spotted without Ben Affleck at her premiere: When divorce gossip won't quit
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Austin police fatally shoot man seen making a bomb at a convenience store during a standoff
Ranking
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Judge agrees to delay Hunter Biden trial in California tax fraud case as Delaware trial looms
- US intelligence agencies’ embrace of generative AI is at once wary and urgent
- 'The Kardashians' Season 5: Where to watch, episode schedule, date, time, streaming info
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Ireland, Spain and Norway recognizing a Palestinian state
- Police arrest 2 in minibike gang attack on 'Beverly Hills, 90210' actor Ian Ziering
- Rolling Stones to swing through new Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in the Ozarks
Recommendation
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
It wasn't just the endless shrimp: Red Lobster's troubles detailed in bankruptcy filing
Person fatally shot by Washington state trooper during altercation on I-5 identified as Idaho man
Barbie honors Venus Williams and 8 other athletes with dolls in their likeness
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Colorado the first state to move forward with attempt to regulate AI’s hidden role in American life
Missouri prosecutors to seek death penalty in killing of court employee and police officer
California advances legislation cracking down on stolen goods resellers and auto theft