11-ft alligator swam off with woman in Polk County after ‘death roll,' FWC report states
The video above, which was recorded in May, discusses the alligator attack
LAKE WALES, Fla. (WFLA) — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation released another report this week on a deadly alligator attack in Polk County last month.
The incident in question happened on May 3, 2025, along Tiger Creek near Lake Kissimmee State Park, which was also the site of a separate alligator attack in March 2025.
'Operation Dragon-Eye': 60 'critically missing' children located in most successful operation
According to the FWC report, Cynthia Diekama of Paw Paw, Michigan, was canoeing with her husband, David Diekama, when they unknowingly rowed over the back of an 11-foot alligator in about 2.5-feet of water.
As the canoe passed over the alligator, the reptile thrashed and knocked the two 61-year-olds out of their vessel.
The FWC stated that Cynthia Diekama was immediately bitten by the alligator. Her husband tried to help her, but he could not rescue her from the alligator.
Wife of suspended Osceola County sheriff arrested: report
The 11-foot crocodilian then performed a 'death roll,' a maneuver alligators use to kill their prey, before swimming away with the woman.
'She sustained multiple severe injuries and was later located and recovered by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) officers,' the report stated. 'Emergency medical services pronounced her deceased at 17:33 hours on scene.'
FWC officers and trappers found an 11-foot 4-inch male alligator believed to be the animal responsible for the woman's death. They then 'removed' it from the wild.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hillsborough County teacher tried to smuggle guns to foreign country: US Attorney
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A former Hillsborough County high school teacher had pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide firearms to a transnational criminal organization, U.S. Attorney Greg Kehoe's office announced. Shannon Samlalsingh, 46, made false statements to firearms dealers in Hillsborough and Miami-Dade Counties in 2020 and 2021 while purchasing weapons and firearms components, the press release said. The woman stated she was buying the weapons herself, but had actually been paid to purchase and transfer them to members of a criminal organization from Trinidad and Tobago who were already in Florida. From there, the weapons would be smuggled to Trinidad. Samlalsignh kept a percentage of the money as compensation for her part in the operation. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The press release said the weapons were discovered when authorities at an airport in Trinidad seized two punching bags from a shipment from the U.S. Items recovered from the shipment: 11 9mm pistols Two .38 caliber special revolvers 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun Three AR-15 barrel foregrips 19 lower pistol grip assemblies 11 forearm bolt assemblies Three AR-15-style barrels 32 AR-15 magazines One AR-15 drum magazine 470 rounds of AR-15 ammunition 34 9mm magazines Three 9 mm drum magazines 284 9mm rounds 15 .38 caliber rounds 36 shells Six magazine couplers 2 shotgun chokes Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Operation Dragon-Eye': 60 ‘critically missing' children located in most successful operation
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)—The United States Marshals Service partnered with multiple federal, state, and local government agencies to conduct the most successful missing child recovery operation in U.S. Marshals Service history. Operation Dragon-Eye was a two-week initiative designed to recover or safely locate the most critically missing youth across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties, USMS said. 60 critically missing children were recovered or safely located in part of the operation. 'About darn time': Victims' families react to Leo Govoni's arrest in $100M fraud case Major renovation coming to Hillsborough High School thanks to penny sales tax Hillsborough County teacher tried to smuggle guns to foreign country: US Attorney 'The unique part of this operation was the fact that underaged critically missing children ranging from age 9 to 17 were not only recovered but were debriefed and provided with physical and psychological care. This operation further included follow-up assistance in hopes that these youth will not return back to the streets to be further victimized,' William Berger, United States Marshal, Middle District of Florida said. According to USMS, 'critically missing' children are those who are at risk of crimes of violence or those with other elevated risk factors like substance abuse, sexual exploitation, crime exposure, or domestic violence. 'Operation Dragon Eye was much more than a U.S. Marshals Service operation; it was a community initiative,' said U.S. Marshals Service Deputy in Charge Mario Price. This operation had three primary objectives: recover critically missing youth, provide them with essential services including appropriate placement, and to deter bad actors exploiting missing child vulnerabilities. 'The majority were being trafficked. The eight people that we arrested, it wasn't just a child, some of them had multiple children working for them. You know, in the old days we used to call them pimps, now it's human traffickers, but their criminals,' said Bill Berger who is the U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida. Berger said those arrested are facing charges of human trafficking, child endangerment and drug possession. 'They know these children were underage. If you look at the average age of the offender, well into their 30s and 40s and then the age of the children were from 9 to 17,' said Berger. In addition to recovering missing children, the operation also arrested eight people with charges that included: human trafficking, child endangerment, narcotics possession, and custodial interference. According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, officers located 11 missing juveniles and arrested two people, one with human trafficking. 'This operation is a powerful example of the importance of collaboration,' said Tampa Police Department Chief Lee Bercaw. 'These arrests and recoveries serve as a reminder of the Tampa Police Department's commitment to fight to protect our most vulnerable.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
11-ft alligator swam off with woman in Polk County after ‘death roll,' FWC report states
The video above, which was recorded in May, discusses the alligator attack LAKE WALES, Fla. (WFLA) — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation released another report this week on a deadly alligator attack in Polk County last month. The incident in question happened on May 3, 2025, along Tiger Creek near Lake Kissimmee State Park, which was also the site of a separate alligator attack in March 2025. 'Operation Dragon-Eye': 60 'critically missing' children located in most successful operation According to the FWC report, Cynthia Diekama of Paw Paw, Michigan, was canoeing with her husband, David Diekama, when they unknowingly rowed over the back of an 11-foot alligator in about 2.5-feet of water. As the canoe passed over the alligator, the reptile thrashed and knocked the two 61-year-olds out of their vessel. The FWC stated that Cynthia Diekama was immediately bitten by the alligator. Her husband tried to help her, but he could not rescue her from the alligator. Wife of suspended Osceola County sheriff arrested: report The 11-foot crocodilian then performed a 'death roll,' a maneuver alligators use to kill their prey, before swimming away with the woman. 'She sustained multiple severe injuries and was later located and recovered by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) officers,' the report stated. 'Emergency medical services pronounced her deceased at 17:33 hours on scene.' FWC officers and trappers found an 11-foot 4-inch male alligator believed to be the animal responsible for the woman's death. They then 'removed' it from the wild. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
