Latest news with #alligatorattack
New York Times
5 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Bitten by Alligator, Man Is Killed After Charging at Deputies, Sheriff Says
Early on Memorial Day, a Florida man was bitten by an alligator as he swam across a lake. Bleeding from a bite to his right arm but undeterred, he climbed out, grabbed a pair of garden shears and walked into a gated neighborhood, alarming residents, according to local authorities. Within minutes, the man, Timothy Schulz, 42, of Mulberry, Fla., was dead — shot by sheriff's deputies after, they say, he charged at them with the shears, failed to be subdued by a stun gun and tried to grab either a shotgun or rifle from their cruiser. 'The fact that he was bitten by an alligator significantly and continued on his rampage was shocking,' the Polk County sheriff, Grady Judd, said at a news conference on Monday. 'This is just crazy stuff. You know it's got to be true. You can't make it up.' In fact, Mr. Schulz had started acting strangely at least two hours before the fatal encounter in Lakeland, Fla., according to the sheriff's office, which pieced together the events leading up to his death using 911 calls and witness statements from residents of the neighborhood who tried to help Mr. Schulz in his final moments. Sheriff Judd also said that Mr. Schulz had a lengthy criminal history, which he described as 'meth arrest, meth arrest, meth arrest, meth arrest, meth arrest.' The events on Monday began before 6 a.m., when an employee at RaceTrac gas station off Highway 37 called the sheriff's office to report a man inside who was acting bizarre — shaking and asking to call his son, Sheriff Judd said. Deputies arrived within three minutes and searched the premises until about 6:39 a.m., but the man, later identified as Mr. Schulz, had vanished, the sheriff said. At 7:43 a.m., a resident in a Polk County neighborhood called the sheriff's office to say that a man was in a lake known to have alligators in it, and that the man was treading water near one of the broad-snouted reptiles. The man, later identified as Mr. Schulz, had entered the lake near the gas station and begun swimming toward Lakeland Court, a gated community, authorities say. 'It's a long swim,' Sheriff Judd said. 'And he was gator-bitten along the way.' Several people saw Mr. Schulz treading water, and one tried to throw Mr. Schulz a life vest but he refused to use it, the sheriff said. Another person who tried to help said that Mr. Schulz growled at him. Then Mr. Schulz, bloodied, emerged from the lake, crossing between houses, Sheriff Judd said. Witnesses told deputies he was trying to break into a vehicle and carrying a pair of garden shears. One person said that Mr. Schulz immediately charged at deputies with the shears when they arrived, Sheriff Judd said. Deputies commanded Mr. Schulz to drop the shears. They twice tried to subdue him by discharging a Taser but, according to Sheriff Judd, it had no effect. Then came the final escalation. Mr. Schulz climbed into the passenger seat of a sheriff's office cruiser and tried to remove either a rifle or a shotgun from its holder, the authorities said. At that moment, the two deputies, including a trainee, opened fire, killing Mr. Schulz. 'He was bizarre,' Sheriff Judd said. 'Our deputies, by the way, are going home safe tonight.' Mr. Schulz had previously been arrested on a charge of possession of methamphetamine on April 16, the authorities said. He was released on May 20. The investigation into what happened on Memorial Day is continuing, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, which said that it was awaiting the results of an autopsy and toxicology 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.
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
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- The Guardian
Alligator kills woman in Florida after tipping over her canoe
An alligator killed a Florida woman after tipping over a canoe she and her husband were paddling, in what investigators say appeared to be an accidental encounter. The attack happened on Tuesday afternoon near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee, south of Orlando, the Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) said. It's near the same location as a March alligator attack in which a woman was bitten on the elbow while kayaking. Investigators said at a news conference on Wednesday that the couple was canoeing in about 2.5ft (less than 1 meter) of water when they came upon a large alligator. The startled animal thrashed suddenly, tipping over the canoe and sending both people into the water. Officials say black bear likely killed man and his dog in Florida 'It sounds like the canoe drifted over, on top of the alligator. The alligator was startled,' said Roger Young, the FWC's executive director. Witnesses told investigators that the husband tried to fight off the animal but was unsuccessful. FWC officials identified the victim as 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema of Davenport, Florida. It wasn't clear if her husband was injured. A trapper captured an alligator measuring more than 11ft (3.3 meters) long that is suspected of being the animal involved, but investigators caught another large alligator that also could have been responsible for the attack, officials said. Since 1948, when officials began tracking alligator bites involving people in Florida, there have been 487 unprovoked bites through 2024, according to FWC data. Of those, 339 were major bites and 27 were fatal. The most recent fatal alligator attack was in February 2023 when 85-year-old Gloria Serge was killed while walking her dog along a community pond in Fort Pierce, officials said. Earlier that year, a 23-year-old man lost his arm in an attack near a pond behind a bar in Port Charlotte. Alligator encounters with humans are more common in the spring mating season, when they are most active, Young said. There are an estimated 1.3 million alligators in Florida. 'While alligator attacks resulting in fatalities are extremely rare, this tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the powerful wildlife that share our natural spaces,' Young said. 'Be cautious of your surroundings. Know what wildlife is in the area.' The alligator attack comes as FWC officials continue to investigate a rare fatal black bear attack on Monday that took the life of 89-year-old Robert Markel and his dog near his home in Collier county, in south-west Florida. Wildlife officers have killed three bears in the area since the attack. The FWC plans public hearings on whether to hold a black bear hunt in parts of Florida later this year.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- The Independent
Woman canoeing in Florida river attacked and killed by alligator despite husband's desperate attempt to save her
A Florida woman was killed after she and her husband inadvertently paddled over an alligator while out canoeing, which tipped them both into the water before the fatal attack. Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that the incident happened on Tuesday afternoon near the mouth of Tiger Creek at Lake Kissimmee. The couple's canoe had passed over the creature, which 'thrashed,' tipping them into the water, FWC major Evan Laskowski told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. The 61-year-old woman had landed on top of the animal and was bitten, he said, adding that her husband had tried to intervene, but was unsuccessful. In radio transmissions from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, obtained by WKMG, an official is heard to say, 'The gator grabbed her out of the canoe. [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,' they added. The woman's body was later spotted by a sheriff's office helicopter, and members of the FWC recovered her from the water. Later that night, a contracted nuisance alligator trapper captured an 11'4 inch alligator, which matched the description involved in the incident. On Wednesday, a second alligator measuring between 10 and 11 feet long, was also captured. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether either of the alligators were responsible for the attack. "Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy,' FWC executive director Roger Young said at Wednesday's press conference. 'While alligator attacks that result in fatalities are extremely rare, this serves as a somber reminder of the powerful wildlife that share our public spaces.' Second time in two months that an alligator has attacked a civilian. WKMG reports that in March a woman was bitten on the arm at the same creek.
