Florida Woman Survives Alligator Attack After Being Dragged Under Water in South Fork River [WATCH]

A 27-year-old woman is recovering after being bitten by an 11-foot alligator while swimming in the South Fork River in Stuart, Florida. The attack occurred Wednesday, roughly 40 miles north of West Palm Beach, as reported by The Daily Mail.

According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the woman was in waist-deep water with her boyfriend and their dog when the alligator lunged and bit her on the hand and wrist, momentarily pulling her under the water.

Alligator Conservation And Management: STUART (CBS12) — A woman had a frightening encounter when she was bitten on the hand and wrist, and briefly pulled underwater by an alligator https://t.co/U9PiE7vIQn pic.twitter.com/jDRXbwwbu4

— Florida Explorers (@fltrek) July 25, 2025

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Lieutenant Michael McCarthy told WPBF that “the patient was walking in approximately waist-deep water and at a certain point, the alligator grabbed her by her right arm and hand and dragged her underwater.”

The alligator then released the woman, and her boyfriend was able to bring her to safety at the nearby Charlie Leighton Park boat ramp. First responders were dispatched to the area, and the woman was airlifted to a hospital as a precaution.

She sustained broken bones and lacerations in the attack but is expected to survive, according to WPEC. Neither the boyfriend nor the dog was injured during the incident.

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to the scene and confirmed they are working with a licensed trapper to locate and remove the alligator involved in the attack.

Lieutenant McCarthy advised residents to use caution in Florida waters, particularly during warmer months when alligator activity increases.

“Always use caution, always assume there is an alligator in the area—it is Florida,” McCarthy said. “Be careful of the type of water that you’re swimming in, along with the clarity of the water, and also beware of what type of season it is for alligators, whether it’s nesting season or not.”

The attack has sparked a wide range of reactions on social media, with some residents questioning the couple’s decision to enter the river. Others expressed concern over the decision to locate and possibly euthanize the alligator, noting that the animal was simply in its natural habitat.

“Anyone who goes into waist-deep water anywhere in South Florida, except the beach, has a chance of being attacked by a gator. It’s their territory first,” one user commented.

The FWC has not released a timeline for when the gator may be captured.

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