A child was hospitalized after being attacked by an alligator while swimming in a prohibited area of Florida's Weeki Wachee Preserve on Labor Day. The incident occurred Monday afternoon.
The child, whose age and sex have not been released, sustained injuries to an arm and a leg. The alligator was estimated to be between 9 and 12 feet in length. The young victim was stranded on a sandbar with other children in the preserve and required rescue by Hernando County Fire Rescue, who utilized an airboat.
Emergency services provided medical care at the scene before the child was transported to Bayonet Point Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the incident.
A licensed wildlife trapper was dispatched to the scene and set traps in an effort to capture the alligator involved in the attack. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating the violation of swimming in a prohibited area.
Officials from the sheriff's office reiterated warnings for the public to adhere to posted rules in Florida waterways and to exercise caution. The Weeki Wachee Preserve, located about 50 miles north of Tampa, encompasses over 11,200 acres.