Just days after the death of Yovy Jimenez, another fatal alligator attack:
An alligator fatally attacked a 23-year-old woman Sunday near Lake George, authorities said.The woman had been staying at a secluded cabin near a springhead that feeds into the lake, said Marion County Fire-Rescue Capt. Joe Amigliore.
"The people she was staying with came around and found her inside the gator's mouth," Amigliore said. "They jumped into the water and somehow pulled her out of the gator's mouth."
The woman, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her stepfather, who had tried to help her, was treated on the scene for a hand injury, said Amigliore.
And yet another fatality, this one near Tampa. That victim has been identified as Judy Cooper of Dunedin.
That's three this week.
UPDATE:
The girl killed at Lake George has been identified as 23-year-old Annmarie Campbell of Paris, Tennessee. She went missing while she and three friends were snorkeling:
When the men found her in the water in the alligator's jaws, they gouged its eyes and pounded on its snout with their hands, said wildlife commission spokeswoman Kat Kelley.One of the people in the party ran about a mile from the cabin to State Road 19 where they could get cell-phone reception and called 911, Kelley said.
"I understand they were gouging at eyes and trying to pry open the jaws," Kelley said. "These people are pretty much in shock. The guys had cuts or scrapes on their hands."
Whoever it was who ran that mile, I know it was horrible.
***
Previous postings:
Anything It Wants
How To Make A Nuisance Of Yourself In One Easy Bite
Old People Are Stubborn
I'm thinking it's already open season, for gators looking for fast food.
I wonder how long it's going to take Jeb to issue an executive order superceeding the ESA and making sure that the gator population experiences a serious, long over due, thinning.
From one of your linked articles:
"Trappers are hanging bait in an attempt to catch the aggressive gator.
Some of the neighbors are concerned about the gator being trapped and killed, and suggest people just use common sense to avoid them. "
It's a sign of the times, and a good explanation for why we are seeing increasing gator attacks. People don't realize that these things are aggressive predators and that humans look like lunch.
"People don't realize that these things are aggressive predators and that humans look like lunch. "
That's because everyone keeps telling them about their "natural fear of humans."
Yes, thin them out. Especially the ones living in the back garden and knocking on our front doors.
http://www.florida-cracker.org/archives/002897.html
Exercise is dangerous. I've always said so.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at May 14, 2006 11:41 PMit's open season...for a while. Nobody's gonna say a word if anyone takes a gator, unless it gets out of hand in the sportsman's arena.
I was out in the water, up to my neck today for several hours clearing a beach area, I din't see one..but I kept thinking, hmmm..
Of course, I had my trusty three prong weed dealy.. I haven't seen one back there in a long long time..and he only lasted maybe a day.
Posted by: csason at May 14, 2006 11:46 PM" I haven't seen one back there in a long long time"
It seems the ones you don't see are the problem.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at May 15, 2006 01:55 AMSis..don't you sweat it...if you knew how much some of us loved gatortail, and my neighbor has three airboats..haw haw Within three miles of me
are four golf courses filled with snowbirds (they call the Green Berets if they see an alligator)
In fact, right now..I would love to slay a few dragons.
Posted by: csason at May 15, 2006 07:22 AMWell, in S GA we do know how to deal with these problems, and it requires no action by government. But I think too many Floridians moved in from out of state to realize the appropriate course of action.
Posted by: MaxedOutMama at May 15, 2006 01:09 PMthose aren't 'real Floridians', Mama..don't exactly know what you call em...but just because a cat has kittens in the oven, don't make em biscuits..
Posted by: csason at May 15, 2006 04:04 PMWhy all the fuss over a few snacks? Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, gators got to eat. If I see something tasty within reach, I'm going for it. Me and my predatory buddies are just trying to clear the State of Yankees. If we get a few Crackers, forgive us, we're not that smart. But y'all need to learn to forgive; those last 3 people were mayonaise eaters.
Posted by: Al E. Gator at May 16, 2006 02:22 PMMeh, some unlucky resident got busted for "Hunting without a license" after busting a few caps into a 3' gator that came in through the pet door to get at her dog.
To bad it wasn't a human intruder, they'ed have just carted off the corpse and been done with it.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Alligator_Dog.html
Posted by: Gmac at May 17, 2006 04:36 PM