Man used life vest to fend off alligator attack at Lake Kissimmee State Park | FOX 51 Gainesville
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Man used life vest to fend off alligator attack at Lake Kissimmee State Park

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Published  May 29, 2025 10:30pm EDT
Polk County
FOX 35 Orlando
Life jacket saved a man's life during alligator attack

Life jacket saved a man's life during alligator attack

A man says a life jacket is what saved his life during a gator attack. The gator grabbed on to his life jacket while he was trying to save a woman who was bitten by the gator. FOX 35's Stephanie Buffamonte has more information on the attack.

The Brief

    • New details and photos were released concerning a violent gator attack.
    • FWC says the woman was bitten on her elbow while she was paddling at Tiger Creek Canal in Polk County.
    • The man who tried to help her was saved by his life vest.

LAKE WALES, Fla. - New details have been released about a violent alligator attack that left a woman seriously injured while kayaking in Lake Kissimmee State Park earlier this year.

8-foot alligator bites kayaker

What we know:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said a woman was kayaking when an 8-foot alligator bit her paddle, causing the kayak to capsize. Then the gator bit her on the elbow in early March in the Tiger Creek Canal near the Osceola-Polk county line. Her husband tried to pull her back up, but the gator wouldn’t let go of her arm.

A man who was in a group kayaking with her paddled over to try and help. According to FWC, the gator released the woman, but then bit his life jacket. The man then poked the gator in the eyes, but it still didn’t let go. So, he unbuckled and ripped off the life jacket, and the gator swam away with the life vest. He was able to get away unharmed.

In new photos released to FOX 35, you can see the tourniquet wrapped around the woman’s arm to try and save it. At last check, thankfully, doctors were able to save her arm, and did not amputate it.

The alligator was found and killed. FWC believes the female gator was being protective or territorial and was triggered by the splashing of the paddle. There was a nest and multiple young gators nearby.

Florida woman killed by alligator while canoeing in same area

Dig deeper:

A 61-year-old Davenport woman was killed on May 6, 2025, while canoeing in the same vicinity of Lake Kissimmee State Park. 

Cynthia Diekema of Davenport was canoeing with her husband near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee in approximately two-and-a-half feet of water.

According to FWC officials, the couple’s canoe passed over a large alligator, prompting it to thrash and capsize the canoe, throwing the couple into the water. The woman reportedly landed on top of the alligator and was bitten. 

She was later spotted by a Polk County Sheriff's Office helicopter and recovered by FWC officers, but she died of her injuries.

Alligator attacks are rare

What you can do:

The FWC recommends taking the following precautions to reduce the chances of alligator incidents:

  • Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator. If someone is concerned about an alligator, they should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper will be dispatched to resolve the situation.
  • Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Pets often resemble alligators’ natural prey.
  • Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.
  • Never feed an alligator. It’s illegal and dangerous. When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food. This can lead to an alligator becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.A contracted nuisance alligator trapper has been dispatched to remove the alligator.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials, and a phone call from a male victim. 

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