ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida is well-known for its large alligator population, but with that comes a pretty big downside: a greater possibility of alligator attacks.
While these attacks are relatively rare, they do happen — and that sometimes leads to fatal consequences.
In its latest report, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that there have been around 500 reported attacks in total since it first started keeping track back in 1948.
[RELATED: Florida man files lawsuit after alligator bites his face]
Of these, over 150 were considered “minor,” meaning they required either no treatment or simple first aid.
On the flip side, just under 350 were deemed “major” attacks, where the victims’ injuries required dedicated medical care to treat their wounds.
In all, 33 recorded attacks resulted in death, with the most recent involving a woman who was swimming at the Little Big Econ State Forest with friends earlier this summer.
[RELATED: Woman killed by alligator in Seminole County, FWC says]
You can find the full list of fatalities below:
| Date | Age/Sex | Location | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 1973 | 16/F | Oscar Scherer State Park (Sarasota County) | Killed while swimming in a lake |
| September 1977 | 52/M | Peace River Canal (Charlotte County) | Bitten on the arm while swimming (died from complications three days later) |
| September 1978 | 14/M | Hidden River Canal (Martin County) | Killed while swimming across the canal off Bessie Creek |
| August 1984 | 11/M | Unnamed Canal (St. Lucie County) | Killed while swimming |
| May 1985 | 27/M | Wellington C27 Canal (Palm Beach County) | Killed while swimming |
| July 1987 | 29/M | Wakulla River (Wakulla County) | Killed while snorkeling |
| June 1988 | 4/F | Hidden Lake (Charlotte County) | Killed while standing at the water’s edge |
| June 1993 | 10/M | Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Martin County) | Killed while wading in the Loxahatchee River |
| October 1993 | 70/F | Lake Serenity (Sumter County) | Found dead |
| March 1997 | 3/M | Lake Ashby (Volusia County) | Killed while playing along the shore |
| May 2001 | 70/M | Venice (Sarasota County) | Found dead at an unnamed pond near his home |
| June 2001 | 2/F | Lake Cannon (Polk County) | Found dead |
| September 2001 | 82/M | Sanibel (Lee County) | Bitten while landscaping at edge of unnamed pond (later died of complications) |
| June 2003 | 12/M | Dead River (Lake County) | Killed while swimming near a boat ramp |
| July 2004 | 54/F | Sanibel (Lee County) | Bitten while landscaping at edge of unnamed pond (later died of complications) |
| September 2004 | 20/F | Lee Memorial Health Park (Lee County) | Killed while swimming in a retention pond |
| March 2005 | 56/M | Six Pound Pond (Polk County) | Found dead (alligator later determined to be responsible) |
| July 2005 | 41/M | Port Charlotte (Charlotte County) | Killed while swimming in an unnamed canal |
| May 2006 | 28/F | North New River Canal (Broward County) | Found dead along the canal in Sunrise |
| May 2006 | 42/F | Oldsmar (Pinellas County) | Found dead at an unnamed canal in the East Lake Woodlands subdivision |
| May, 2006 | 23/F | Ocala National Forest (Lake County) | Killed while snorkeling in Juniper Run |
| November 2007 | 36/M | Miccosukee Indian Reservation (Miami-Dade County) | Killed while trying to evade police by swimming across a pond |
| October 2015 | 61/M | Blue Spring Run (Volusia County) | Killed while snorkeling |
| June 2016 | 2/M | Seven Seas Lagoon (Orange County) | Killed while playing along the shoreline |
| June 2018 | 47/F | Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park (Broward County) | Killed while walking her dogs along the water’s edge of an unnamed lake |
| April 2019 | 31/M | Fort Myers (Lee County) | Killed while trying to evade police by swimming across a retention pond |
| May 2022 | 49/M | Taylor Park (Pinellas County) | Found dead |
| July 2022 | 80/F | Boca Royale Golf Course Community (Sarasota County) | Killed while gardening at her home in Englewood |
| February 2023 | 85/F | Ft. Pierce (St. Lucie County) | Killed while walking her dog along the edge of a community retention pond |
| September 2023 | 41/F | McKay Creek (Pinellas County) | Found dead |
| May 2025 | 61/F | Tiger Creek (Polk County) | Killed while canoeing with her husband |
| October 2025 | 73/F | Palm Harbor (Pinellas County) | Found dead at a residential pond |
| June 2026 | 31/F | Econlockhatchee River (Seminole County) | Attacked while swimming with friends (later died as a result of injuries) |