Search Continues for Alligator After Fatal Attack Near Lake Kissimmee, Florida

Florida wildlife officials and law enforcement are still searching for an alligator after a fatal attack near Lake Kissimmee. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene along with a professional alligator trapper. As of Tuesday night, the alligator had not been located.

The identity of the woman killed in the suspected alligator attack has not yet been released, and the incident remains under active investigation.

Although fatal alligator attacks in Florida are rare, this incident is the second serious alligator encounter in the Lake Kissimmee area in recent months. In March, a kayaker was attacked but survived while paddling through a canal connecting Tiger Lake and Lake Kissimmee.

Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators, and while most avoid humans, the state averages between 10 and 20 alligator-related incidents each year. Only a small number of these encounters result in serious injury or death. Since 1948, the FWC has documented over 450 unprovoked alligator attacks on humans, with approximately 30 fatalities.