Child ‘mauled by 12-foot alligator’ while swimming in Florida lake

A child was bitten on the arm and leg by a 9-12ft alligator at Florida’s Weeki Wachee Preserve, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office revealed, with the youngster rushed to hospital

A youngster has been taken to hospital after suffering a vicious alligator attack while swimming in Florida on Labor Day.

The child, whose age and sex have not been disclosed, sustained bites to the arm and leg from the gator, which is believed to measure between nine and 12 feet in length, according to Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred in a preserve where swimming is prohibited.

The youngster was reportedly stuck on a sandbar in the Weeki Wachee Preserve alongside several other children on Monday afternoon, unable to reach the mainland. Hernando County Fire Rescue swiftly intervened, deploying an airboat to bring the children back to shore before administering essential medical treatment.

One child was transported to Bayonet Point Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the county sheriff’s office confirmed.

A licensed Florida wildlife trapper attended the scene and set traps in an attempt to capture the animal responsible for the attack, according to NYP, reports the Daily Star.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has since opened an investigation into the swimming violation. Officials are now urging the public to adhere to regulations at the state’s waterways and to take extreme care.

The sheriff’s office stated: “Do not swim in areas where swimming is prohibited.”

The Weeki Wachee Preserve covers more than 11,200 acres in west-central Florida, situated approximately 50 miles north of Tampa. The Southwest Florida Water Management District states on its website regarding the preserve: “no swimming allowed in any of the lakes.”