Alligator kills woman in Florida after tipping over her canoe

Alligator kills woman in Florida after tipping over her canoe


Cynthia Diekema and husband were paddling in mouth of river when startled animal thrashed and capsized canoe


An alligator killed a Florida woman after tipping over a canoe she and her husband were paddling, in what investigators say appeared to be an accidental encounter.

The attack happened on Tuesday afternoon near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee, south of Orlando, the Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) said. It is near the location of a March alligator attack in which a woman was bitten on the elbow while kayaking.

Investigators said at a news conference on Wednesday that the couple was canoeing in about 2.5ft (less than 1 meter) of water when they came upon a large alligator. The startled animal thrashed suddenly, tipping over the canoe and sending both people into the water.

“It sounds like the canoe drifted over, on top of the alligator. The alligator was startled,” said Roger Young, the FWC’s executive director.

Witnesses told investigators that the husband tried to fight off the animal but was unsuccessful. FWC officials identified the victim as 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema of Davenport, Florida. It was not clear if her husband was injured.

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