27-Year-Old Dragged Underwater, Survives Encounter While With Dog and Boyfriend
A 27-year-old woman is recovering in the hospital after surviving an alligator attack while swimming in the St. Lucie River on Wednesday. The incident, which occurred in waist-deep water, saw the woman briefly pulled underwater before the alligator released her.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), the woman and her boyfriend had taken their boat to the South Fork River near Southwest Linden Street. She was standing in the water with her dog when an alligator bit her hand and wrist, then quickly dragged her below the surface. After a tense moment, the gator released its grip.
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Her boyfriend took her to the boat ramp at Charlie Leighton Park, where deputies and Martin County Fire Rescue were waiting for their arrival. As a precaution, the victim was airlifted to Lawnwood Hospital. Her boyfriend and dog were unharmed during the ordeal.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to the scene and ordered a trapper to locate the alligator.
Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators, found in all 67 counties across freshwater lakes, ponds, swamps, and slow-moving rivers like the St. Lucie.
While serious alligator attacks are statistically rare, averaging about five unprovoked bites per year since 1948, the presence of these apex predators is a constant reminder of Florida’s wild nature.
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) emphasizes that alligators are most active between dusk and dawn, and advises against swimming in undesignated areas, especially with pets, as dogs can resemble an alligator’s natural prey.
This incident follows a tragic alligator attack in May, when a woman was fatally bitten after being knocked into the water from her canoe in Polk County.
Authorities continue to remind residents and visitors to exercise caution and maintain a safe distance from alligators in and around Florida’s waterways. Feeding alligators is illegal and dangerous, as it can cause them to lose their natural wariness of humans and associate people with food, leading to potentially dangerous encounters.
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