Latest news with #CynthiaDiekema
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man used life vest to fend off alligator attack at Lake Kissimmee State Park
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. 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. 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. 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 FWC report, STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV 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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Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Large alligator is pursuing canoers and kayakers in Florida springs, park warns
One of Florida's popular natural springs has halted all boating activity due to a large alligator seeking out humans in the water, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Access at Juniper Springs Waterway was stopped 'immediately' on Monday, May 19, 'due to the presence of an adult 'nuisance alligator,'' Forest Service officials said in a Facebook post. The Juniper Springs Natural Trail and Boardwalk Trail are also 'temporarily closed for public safety,' according to a website for the site. 'There is a large, male alligator (approx. 13-14 feet) in the closure area. Over the past few days, he actively made contact with canoes and kayaks. No injuries have been reported at this time,' the Forest Service said. 'To help prevent human interaction and disruption, the Forest Supervisor and Ocala district ranger decided to give this alligator his space for the time being.' The warning comes about two weeks after a Florida woman was killed when her canoe startled an 11-foot alligator at Lake Kissimmee, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Cynthia Diekema, 61, was with her husband on May 6 when 'their canoe passed over a large alligator' and it flipped the vessel over, state investigators say. 'She ended up on top of the alligator in the water and was bitten. Her husband attempted to intervene, but was unsuccessful,' the FWC reported. U.S. Forest Service officials noted the alligator's behavior may be linked to mating season, which occurs in May and June. Alligators are found in nearly all the state's waterways, including the natural springs, experts say. 'Male and female alligators are naturally protective of their breeding and nesting environments, typically found along embankments,' Forest Service officials said. Juniper Springs Recreation Area is about a 65-mile drive north from Orlando and includes amenities for swimming, camping and boating, according to 'There are hundreds of tiny bubbling springs and massive springs gushing out of crevices in the earth beneath a dense canopy of palms and oaks, an oasis within the heart of the desert-like Big Scrub,' the site reports.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Utterly terrifying final moments of woman knocked out of canoe and killed by alligator in front of her husband
The terrifying final moments of a Florida grandmother who was knocked out of a canoe and mauled to death by an 11-foot-long alligator as her husband watched in horror have been revealed. Cynthia Diekema, of Davenport, Florida, was enjoying a day on Lake Kissimmee with her husband Dave Diekema on Tuesday when the couple paddled over an alligator in shallow water. Wildlife officials revealed the couple's 14-foot canoe was in just two feet of water when the alligator suddenly thrashed beneath them. The alligator caused the couple's canoe to flip, pulling them both into the water as the grandmother fell directly on top of the beast. This triggered the reptile to fatally attack the woman, while her horrified husband desperately attempted to save his wife. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 4pm and spotted the victim floating in the water. She was recovered from the lake and pronounced dead at the scene, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said. A radio call obtained by WKMG detailed her husband's desperate struggle to save his wife. A woman has been killed by an alligator while canoeing with her husband on a Florida lake 'Gator grabbed her out of the canoe,' the officer said. '[Her husband] tried to fight the gator off. We're at the last place he saw her. He left the paddle here where he last saw her.' Although a fatal alligator attack is a highly rare occurrence, this was the second alligator attack at the same lake within two months - raising concerns among locals. Now, multiple alligators linked to the attack have been captured by trappers, but authorities must determine which reptile was responsible for the woman's death. Officials revealed they will examine the stomach contents of the captured alligators as part of their investigation, according to WFTV. Dikema's latest Instagram post - a collage of recent happy photos alongside her husband - has been filled with emotional tributes and condolences in the comments. Beneath images of the couple's recent vacation, showing them smiling and enjoying life together, mourners have left messages expressing their shock and grief. 'You seemed like a genuine, beautiful soul. How lucky you were to live such a fun and rich life for decades, but how terrible it is to lose it in such a way,' wrote one follower. 'Even more terrible that you were so loved, so cherish that your death will affect so many of those around you. May God watch over your family, may you find the peace that you deserve, and may the memory of your light never dim.' Another commented: 'So sad. Thoughts and prayers for your girls and granddaughter. I was always terrified of them when we lived down there.' Nearby camper Taylor Stokes, who has lived in the area for over 40 years, expressed his condolences while acknowledging the risk of the gators, saying he even 'looks twice' before stepping into his bathtub. 'I've been living here 40-something years, and everyone knows you don't get in no pond, no lake, no nothing. I look twice before stepping in the bathtub,' Stokes said to WESH 2. 'My heart goes out to the family. Tragic accident.' A nuisance alligator trapper was dispatched to the area in accordance with the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) which deals with alligators which are deemed a danger to people, animals or property. It comes just months after another alligator attacked another woman in the same area near Lake Kissmimee. On March 3 a woman was left with injuries after she was bitten on the elbow. The FWC has advice for alligator safety which recommends keeping a safe distance if one is spotted. Swimmers should keep to designated areas and avoid swimming at night or with pets, which should also be kept on a leash and away from the water's edge. Feeding alligators is illegal and strongly advised against by the FWC which warns the practice can lead to gators losing their natural reticence and becoming a nuisance.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Alligator attack that killed woman canoeing on Lake Kissimmee was ‘defensive incident,' Florida wildlife official says
ORLANDO, Fla. — The woman killed by an alligator on a Central Florida lake Tuesday was attacked after her canoe passed over it in shallow water, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Wednesday. The attack occurred near the mouth of Tiger Creek on Lake Kissimmee, just east of Osceola County, where the woman and her husband were canoeing in 2 feet of water when investigators believe they startled the alligator by drifting over it. The alligator then thrashed and tipped over the canoe. The woman, who sat at the bow, fell on top of the reptile and was bitten as her husband tried to intervene but failed, FWC Maj. Evan Laskowski told reporters. FWC identified the woman as 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema of Davenport. Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies and marine units assisted in the search and an agency helicopter found her body in the water. Two alligators were captured, including an 11-footer that FWC said matched the description of the one who attacked the woman. The investigation of the incident is ongoing. 'This was not believed to be a predatory incident, but just simply a defensive incident where they came upon the alligator beneath the water's edge and when the canoe struck it, it caused a reaction,' FWC Officer Bradley Johnson said. Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, with just five deadly gator attacks between 2014 and November 2024, the last month for which FWC data is available. None took place in 2024, which saw 11 gator attacks statewide. That's more than half the attacks reported in 2023, which saw 23 with one deadly, according to agency figures. FWC administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program to remove those believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property. Tuesday's attack was the second in that area within two months — a woman was bitten March 3 while kayaking there. Lake Kissimmee has the second-highest gator population of any lake in the state, The Ledger reported using FWC data. FWC Executive Director Roger Young said alligators are especially active now during mating season. 'During this time, when alligators are active, we strongly encourage the public to keep their distance from alligators,' Young said. _____
National Post
07-05-2025
- National Post
Alligator kills woman who was canoeing at popular Florida lake
An alligator has attacked and killed a 61-year-old woman who was canoeing at a Florida lake with her husband on Tuesday. Article content The incident occurred at the mouth of Tiger Creek on Lake Kissimmee, a popular attraction for camping, birding and boating south of Orlando. The woman was a Florida resident identified by an officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement Southwest Region as Cynthia Diekema. Article content Article content Diekema and her husband were in a 14-foot canoe in an area of the lake that was only around two and a half feet deep, FWC Maj. Evan Laskowski said at a press conference Wednesday. The canoe floated over the large reptile. Article content Article content 'The alligator thrashed and tipped the canoe over and both individuals ended up in the water,' he said, adding that Diekema was in the bow of the boat. 'She ended up on top of the alligator in the water and was bitten. Her husband attempted to intervene but was unsuccessful.' Article content Out of respect for the family, Laskowski said he would not reveal details about how she was killed. However, some time after the incident, her body was spotted via helicopter and recovered by authorities. Article content Since Tuesday's fatal attack, nuisance alligator trappers have recovered two large alligators in the same area. One of the gators was 11 feet and four inches long, while the other was between 10 and 11 feet. Trappers remained at the scene on Wednesday, said Laskowski. Article content Authorities said that it was not believed to be a predatory incident. An eyewitness account indicated that 'the canoe drifted over the alligator so it seems to be a surprise,' FWC executive director Roger Young said on Wednesday. Article content Article content He added that the 'alligator was startled' but it was 'premature to speculate.' Article content Article content The investigation is ongoing, he said, which includes removing alligators from the immediate area 'so we can be certain that we have the alligator that was involved.' Article content He said that there would be evidence to connect an individual alligator to the incident. Article content Alligator attacks are still considered extremely rare, he said. According to the FWC, there are approximately 1.3 million alligators in Florida. Article content
