Rainbow River Snorkeler Hospitalized In Alligator Attack: FL Sheriff

DUNNELLON, FL — Rainbow River reopened after an alligator attacked and bit a snorkeler, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Sunday evening social media post.

While deputies didn’t share details about the attack, Marion County Fire Rescue officials told the Ocala Gazette that the agency responded to the scene after receiving reports of a 19-year-old man being bitten by a gator around noon.

The snorkeler was brought to UF Health Shands Hospital, the Gazette said.

Dunnellon Mayor Walter Green told the news outlet that the attack happened “just above Sateke Village,” a residential neighborhood along the river.

The Rainbow River was briefly closed after the bite, but reopened.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the river and found the gator involved in the attack, deputies said. The animal was removed from the river.

The attack came well into gator mating season in Florida.

Courtship begins in April, followed by peak mating activity in May and June, FWC said.

The FWC also offers the following tips for safely co-existing with alligators:

• Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator and never feed them.
• Swim only in designated areas during daylight hours. Gators are most active between dusk and dawn.
• Keep pets on a leash and away from the water’s edge. Never let them swim in fresh or brackish water.

See Also:

• FL Deputy With Cowboy Hat In Hand Wrangles Large Gator
• Woman Bitten By Gator While Swimming With Kids In FL Lake
• FL Man Bitten By 8-Foot Gator While Trying To Save His Dog
• Alligator Attack On Cow Prompts Closure Of Central FL Conservation Area
• 2 Gators Removed In Tampa As Mating Season Starts In FL