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How many people have been killed by alligators in Florida? The number may surprise you

2 killed while trying to run from police

Large alligator saunters through Florida neighborhood

Florida is a state well-known for its alligators, which inhabit many of the state’s swamps and wetlands.

Despite their cute appearance, these animals are incredibly dangerous. While they rarely bite people, they may do so for food, as they’re opportunistic feeders.

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Since 1948, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has recorded over 450 alligator bites on people in the state, with 30 of them being fatal.

The FWC has attacks listed through 2022, though there were two attacks last year in Florida — one in Largo and another in Fort Pierce.

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Two of the strangest attacks involved cases from 2007 and 2019. In both cases, the victim was killed by an alligator while trying to evade police in local waterways.

Certain lakes in Florida also present more risk than others, with Lake Okeechobee and Orange Lake being the most gator-infested in the state.

Below is a list of all fatal alligator bites in Florida and how they happened.

YearNameAgeLocationSize of AlligatorManner of Death
1973Sharon Holmes16Oscar Scherer Park
Sarasota County
11 feet, 3 inchesKilled while swimming in the lake.
1977George Leonard52Peace River Canal
Charlotte County
7 feetSeized on the arm while swimming in the canal.
He died three days later of complications.
1978Phillip Rastrelli14Hidden River Canal
Martin County
11 feetKilled while swimming across the canal off Bessie Creek.
1984Robert Crespi11Unnamed Canal
St. Lucie County
12 feet, 4 inchesKilled while swimming in the canal.
1985Paul Mirabito27Wellington C27 Canal
Palm Beach County
UnrecordedKilled while swimming in the canal.
1987George Cummings III29Wakulla River
Wakulla County
11 feetKilled while snorkeling in the river.
1988Erin Glover4Hidden Lake
Charlotte County
10 feet, 7 inchesKilled while standing at the water’s edge.
1993Bradley Weidenhamer10Loxahatchee River
Martin County
11 feet, 4 inchesKilled while wading in the river at Jonathan Dickinson
State Park.
1993Grace Eberhart70Lake Serenity
Sumter County
UnknownFound dead at the lake. Cause of death was determined
to caused by an alligator, and several were removed.
1997Adam Binford3Lake Ashby
Volusia County
11 feetKilled while playing along the lake shore.
2001Samuel Wetmore70Unnamed pond
Sarasota County
8 feet, 4 inchesFound dead at a pond near his home in Venice.
2001Alexandria Murphy2Lake Cannon
Polk County
6 feet, 6 inchesFound dead at the lake.
2001Robert Steele82Unnamed wetland
Lee County
10 feet, 9 inchesKilled while walking his dog along the water’s edge near
his home in Sanibel on Sept. 11.
2003Brian Griffin12Dead River
Lake County
10 feet, 4 inchesKilled while swimming near a boat ramp.
2004Janie Melsek54Unnamed pond
Lee County
12 feet, 3 inchesSeized by an alligator while landscaping near the water’s
edge. Died of complications from the bite afterward.
2004Michelle Reeves20Lee Memorial Health Park
Lee County
7 feet, 11 inchesKilled while swimming in a retention pond.
2005Donald Owen56Six Pound Pond
Polk County
9 feet, 8 inchesFound dead at the pond near Lakeland.
2005Kevin Murray41Unnamed Canal
Charlotte County
12 feet, 2 inchesKilled while swimming at the canal in Port Charlotte.
2006Yovoy Suarez-Jimenez28North New River Canal
Broward County
9 feet, 6 inchesFound dead along the canal in Sunrise.
2006Judy Cooper42East Lake Woodlands
Pinellas County
9 feet, 6 inchesFound dead in an unnamed canal in Oldsmar.
2006Annmarie Campbell23Ocala National Forest
Lake County
11 feet, 5 inchesKilled while snorkeling in Juniper Run.
2007Justo Padron36Miccosukee Indian Reservation
Miami-Dade County
9 feet, 4 inchesKilled while trying to evade police by swimming across a
pond at the reservation.
2015James Okkerse61Blue Spring Run
Volusia County
12 feet, 6 inchesKilled while snorkeling in Orange City.
2016Lane Graves2Seven Seas Lagoon
Orange County
7-8 feetKilled while playing along the shoreline. Two alligators
were removed.
2018Shizuka Matzuki47Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park
Broward County
12 feet, 4 inchesKilled while walking her dogs along the water’s edge of
an unnamed lake.
2019Jardan Battle31Retention Pond
Lee County
10 feet, 3 inchesKilled while trying to evade police by swimming across
the pond in Fort Myers.
2022Sean McGuiness49Taylor Park
Pinellas County
8-10 feetKilled while retrieving golf frisbees. Two alligators were
removed.
2022Rose Weigand80Boca Royale Golf Course Community
Sarasota County
8 feet, 11 inches
7 feet, 7 inches
Killed while gardening at her home. Two alligators were
removed.
2023Sabrina Peckham41Local waterway
Pinellas County
13 feet, 8 inchesFound dead in a nearby waterway. Remains were recovered
by deputies.
2023Gloria Serge85Spanish Lakes Fairways
St. Lucie County
10 feetHer dog was attacked while on a walk. She was pulled into
the water while trying to rescue the dog.

The best way to keep safe from an alligator attack is to avoid them entirely.

To keep safe from alligator attacks, the University of Florida offers these tips:

  • Don’t feed wild alligators (it’s illegal): It can make the gators associate humans with food and lose their natural fear of people.
  • Don’t throw fish scraps in trash cans: Such scraps can unintentionally attract gators looking for an easy snack.
  • Follow directions on signs: Don’t go swimming anywhere outside of posted swimming areas.
  • Swim during daylight hours: Alligators are most active at night, so daytime is probably a safer option.
  • Keep an eye on children and pets: Never allow small children to play unattended near the water and avoid letting your pets too close to the shoreline, as they may resemble the reptiles’ natural prey.

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