ENGLEWOOD, Florida – An elderly woman in Florida died Friday afternoon after falling into a pond and being caught by two alligators, authorities said.
The incident occurred at a pond at Boca Royale Golf and Country Club in Englewood, south of Sarasota, Sarasota Sheriff’s officials said. The woman, who was not identified and whose age was not disclosed, was observed falling into a pond next to the golf course near her home and struggling to stay afloat, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
“While in the water, two alligators were observed near the victim and finally caught her while she was in the water,” a press release said.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the Florida Fish Conservation and Wildlife Commission responded by capturing and removing alligators from the pond, officials said. The cause of death had not been determined.
The sheriff’s office is working with the FWC and the forensic office to investigate the incident and find the cause of death, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Doug Johnson wrote in an email to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
FWC spokeswoman Melody Kilborn said it was unclear if the alligators were involved in the incident, only that it was observed that they were close to the body. The two alligators, one 8-foot 10-inch and the other 7-foot 7-inch, were removed from the pond shortly after the incident.
The Boca Royale Golf and Country Club is a gated community in southern Sarasota County of about 1,000 acres and includes homes, lakes, golf and nature reserves, according to its website.
No heat relief: No air conditioning in many homes, residents of these cities are suffering
A 6-year-old Colorado boy dies after a rattlesnake bite: what to know if you are bitten
Deadly alligator attacks are rare in Florida, although the creatures are found throughout the state. The FWC says there are an average of eight unprovoked seizures by alligators a year that require medical treatment. From 1948 to 2021, there were 442 incidents of unprovoked alligator bites in the state, 26 of which resulted in death.
The story goes on
In June, a man looking for frisbees in the water next to a lake in Largo, Florida, was found dead in an alleged alligator attack.
Collaboration: Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: a Florida woman dies after falling into the pond, alligators catch her