SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla, \u2013 A day on the water ended in tragedy after an alligator attack in Seminole County\u2014one of two gator attacks reported in Central Florida this weekend.<\/p>\n
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said a 31-year-old woman was bitten while swimming with a group of friends Saturday afternoon in the Econlockhatchee River near Geneva, off Barr Street. She was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries and later died.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to hear somebody passed away out here in such a beautiful place,\u201d a visitor at the river said.<\/p>\n
Witness Kelvin Forde said law enforcement flooded the area after the incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s literally cops all over the area, literally corralled right in that corner,\u201d Forde said.<\/p>\n
People who hike nearby said the river is known to have alligators, similar to many waterways across Central Florida.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would avoid swimming in the river. You don\u2019t know what\u2019s in the water,\u201d said local hiker Neil Padriga.<\/p>\n
The Seminole County incident is the second gator attack in Central Florida in less than 48 hours, according to FWC.<\/p>\n
FWC said the other attack happened Saturday at Nelson\u2019s Fish Camp in Umatilla, where a child was bitten on the hand by an 8-foot, 7-inch alligator. An FWC trapper later removed and killed the animal.<\/p>\n
The attacks also come a week after a snorkeler was bitten while swimming at Rainbow Springs State Park in Marion County by another 8-foot alligator.<\/p>\n
Kevin Brotz, a licensed gator hunting guide for nearly two decades, said people should stay alert near the water\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay a few feet off the water\u2019s edge. It\u2019s tempting to walk close to see the minnows and all that stuff. That\u2019s where bad things can happen,\u201d Brotz said.<\/p>\n
FWC said serious injuries caused by alligators are rare. Anyone who encounters a nuisance alligator or has concerns can contact the agency.<\/p>\n
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