A 31-year-old woman was killed by an alligator while swimming in Florida’s Econlockhatchee River on June 28.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the woman, her boyfriend, and her best friend had been hiking in Seminole County, north of Orlando, when they stopped to swim. Officials said the group was in about three feet (0.9 meters) of water when an alligator bit the woman on both arms. Her boyfriend tried to free her from the animal, but she died on the way to the hospital.
Two alligators in the area, measuring 12 feet and 13 feet long (3.7 and 4 meters), were later captured. Officials described the incident as “incredibly tragic,” and said a 13-foot alligator is considered very large.
Animals are amazing creatures, but many can be dangerous when humans enter their territory. Click through to find out what to do, and what not to do, if you’re attacked by an animal.