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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.
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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.
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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.
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