Elderly woman killed by alligators after falling into country club pond

Her body has been recovered but her identity is yet to be confirmed

Reports of an elderly woman killed by alligators on a golf course in Florida have been confirmed by country club officials and local police. The incident occurred shortly before 8pm Friday, July 15 at the Boca Royale Golf and Country Club in Englewood, Sarasota County, FL. Speaking in a statement, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said the woman fell into a pond along the course and was "struggling to stay afloat" when she was attacked by two alligators. "While in the water two alligators were observed near the victim and ultimately grabbed her while in the water," the sheriff's office continued, adding that she was pronounced dead at the scene. She is yet to be identified by authorities.

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) said an 8' 10'' alligator and a 7' 7" alligator seen near the pond were removed as part of the investigation, though it remains unclear if they are the same animals involved in the attack. There are currently no plans to remove any more from the area despite several attacks across the state in recent weeks and months.

It was only in June that another man was attacked in Florida, barely surviving after having chunks taken ripped out of his leg after mistaking the reptile for a dog and back in April that the same police department shared a video of a stray gator casually wandering around a local neighbourhood. From 1948 to 2021, Florida has reported a total of 442 unprovoked bite incidents from alligators, 26 of which resulted in fatalities, according to the FFWCC. The creature is highly populous to Florida's sub-tropical climate and although the region has historically averaged around three serious bites a year but in the last 10 years, the state that number has risen to around eight unprovoked bites that require medical treatment per year. This incident is the third death in the US this year already, with at least five other attacks resulting in injury. The conservation agency said they will be working jointly with the Sarasota County Medical Examiner's Office as part of the investigation to determine the exact cause of death. The country club is yet to issue a comment following the tragic incident.