Alligator Kills Women In Florida After Flipping Her Canoe

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A tragic event occurred in Florida involving an alligator tipping over a canoe.

An alligator tipped over a canoe that a woman and her husband were paddling near Tiger Creek in Florida.

As the couple navigated shallow waters in the creek, an alligator became startled and started thrashing around the canoe.

The thrashing by the alligator caused the canoe to be tipped over, resulting in the woman being attacked by the alligator.

The husband attempted to fight off the alligator in a desperate attempt to save his wife, but was unsuccessful.

The victim has been identified as 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema of Davenport, Florida.

The husband’s condition is currently unknown.

Check out what The Guardian reported:

An alligator killed a Florida woman after tipping over a canoe she and her husband were paddling, in what investigators say appeared to be an accidental encounter.

The attack happened on Tuesday afternoon near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee, south of Orlando, the Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) said. It is near the location of a March alligator attack in which a woman was bitten on the elbow while kayaking.

Investigators said at a news conference on Wednesday that the couple was canoeing in about 2.5ft (less than 1 meter) of water when they came upon a large alligator. The startled animal thrashed suddenly, tipping over the canoe and sending both people into the water.

“It sounds like the canoe drifted over, on top of the alligator. The alligator was startled,” said Roger Young, the FWC’s executive director.

Witnesses told investigators that the husband tried to fight off the animal but was unsuccessful. FWC officials identified the victim as 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema of Davenport, Florida. It was not clear if her husband was injured.

A trapper captured an alligator measuring more than 11ft (3.3 meters) long that is suspected of being the animal involved, but investigators caught another large alligator that also could have been responsible for the attack, officials said.

Per ABC News:

A Florida woman was killed by an alligator during a canoeing trip with her husband, who tried to save her during the surprise attack, officials said.

The husband and wife were canoeing in about 2 1/2 feet of water at the mouth of Tiger Creek near Lake Kissimmee in Polk County on Tuesday afternoon when the boat drifted over a large alligator, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The gator thrashed and tipped the canoe over, throwing both the husband and wife into the water, fish and wildlife officials said.

The victim, 61-year-old Polk County resident Cynthia Diekema, ended up on top of the alligator in the water, the officials said.



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