SWFL.io - Local NewsDacia Johnson
•6/29/2026
A 31-year-old woman died Sunday after being bitten by an alligator while swimming in the Econlockhatchee River, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
"Bad, real bad please, hurry ... she's losing a lot of ... please hurry ... " a 911 caller said.
"Someone got bit by a gator ..."
FWC said the woman was swimming with friends near the Barr Street Trailhead in the Little Big Econ State Forest around 1:30 p.m. when she was bitten by the alligator.
911 calls released Monday detail the frantic response as her friends tried to help.
"Horrible," the caller says about the woman's injuries, "both her arms are dislocated ... off basically ... one arm is completely off."
She was transported to a hospital as a trauma alert, where she later died from her injuries.
Related: Juvenile injured after alligator attack in Marion County, FWC says
FWC, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper responded to the scene. FWC officers remained on site for hours, using a boat and a UTV as part of their investigation. The entrance to the trailhead was also closed off with caution tape, forcing hikers to go elsewhere.
FWC cleared the scene around 7:30 p.m.
The identity of the woman has not yet been released.
The agency reported that two alligators were harvested, one measuring 13 feet and another measuring 12 feet.
DNA analysis was conducted, and samples will be sent to a lab to determine which gator was responsible for the woman’s death.
Several signs near the trailhead entrance warn visitors of alligators in the area.
>> Video below: FWC gives an update after woman killed by gator while swimming in Florida river
This attack is the third reported in the past seven days and the second in 24 hours in Central Florida.
FWC said serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida. The agency administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program to address complaints concerning specific alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets, or property.
Related: 3 alligator attacks reported in Central Florida within 7 days
People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). When someone is concerned about an alligator and calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, FWC will dispatch a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation.
[image id='9c799800-50b9-439f-8450-84a9833dadbd' mediaId='c66a72f8-6070-463a-8e05-c3452d67e144' align='center' size='medium' share='true' caption='' expand='' crop='original'][/image][image id='ea6cc74e-a063-4dff-8140-1e017b222e20' mediaId='7589cc58-4060-46c0-83d5-9e4f9d4f6baf' align='center' size='medium' share='true' caption='' expand='' crop='original'][/image][related id='6c035e6f-e615-4a94-8a78-50fe86fa34ac' align='center' source=''][/related][related id='e81bb41b-525f-4f55-aa4c-e789ae1ea987' align='center' source=''][/related]
>> This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.