A child was hospitalized after being savagely attacked by an alligator while swimming in a prohibited area in Florida on Labor Day.
The kid, whose age and sex were not released, was bitten on the arm and leg by the gator — which was estimated to be between 9 and 12 feet in length, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office revealed.
The youngster got stranded on a sandbar in the Weeki Wachee Preserve with several other children Monday afternoon, and was unable to make it back to the mainland.
They ultimately had to be rescued by Hernando County Fire Rescue – who used an airboat to retrieve them.
The injured juvenile was rushed to Bayonet Point Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the county sheriff’s office said.
A licensed Florida wildlife trapper responded to the scene and placed traps in the hopes of capturing the beast responsible for the attack.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating the violation for swimming – which is strictly prohibited at the preserve.
Officials reiterated the warning for people to obey posted rules at waterways in the state and to exercise extreme caution.
“Do not swim in areas where swimming is prohibited,” the sheriff’s office said.
The Weeki Wachee Preserve spans over 11,200 acres in west-central Florida, and is located about 50 miles north of Tampa.
