A minor was hospitalized this Monday after being bitten by a huge alligator while swimming in the Weeki Wachee Preserve, a natural area in Hernando County, Florida.
The reptile measured approximately between 9 and 12 feet long (2.7 to 3.7 meters), according to reports from FOX 13 Tampa Bay and Tampa Bay 28, citing an alert from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
The minor was swimming when the attack occurred and sustained bite wounds on an arm and a leg.
The injuries were not considered life-threatening, and he was transferred to Bayonet Point Hospital for medical attention.
The incident also caused moments of tension for other minors who were with the victim.
According to the authorities, the group became stranded on a sandbar and had to be rescued by members of Hernando County Fire Rescue.
After the attack, a licensed trapper from Florida went to the site and set traps to locate and capture the alligator.
As of the first reports, authorities had not confirmed whether the animal had been located.
The identity and exact age of the minor have not been disclosed either.
An important element of the case is that swimming is not allowed in the lakes of the Weeki Wachee Preserve.
The management of the natural area, which is part of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, explicitly sets forth that prohibition.
The Sheriff's Office urged residents and visitors to exercise caution near bodies of water and to respect all established rules and restrictions.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was tasked with investigating the violation related to the water entry, according to Tampa Bay 28.
The new incident comes after several alligator attacks reported this summer in Florida.
In early August, a woman was hospitalized after being bitten by a 9-foot-8-inch alligator while swimming in the Silver River, also in Marion County.
Weeks earlier, an 11-year-old boy lost his right hand after being attacked by an alligator while fishing with his father at Nelson Fish Camp, near Umatilla. The involved reptile measured 8 feet and 7 inches.
Also, at the end of June, Brittany Clark, 31 years old, died after being attacked by an alligator while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River in Seminole County.
Subsequently, DNA tests identified a specimen measuring 13 feet as the culprit.
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