Florida: Gator attacks, hurts woman after she falls in canal

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — An alligator attacked and injured a homeless woman after she fell into a Florida canal on Monday, authorities said.

The woman was resting on a sea wall when she fell into the canal, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue said in a news release. Someone heard the woman’s cries for help and called 911.

The woman, who is in her 50s, was taken to a hospital with severe injuries to her arms, the news release said. She was reported in stable condition.

Authorities from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said a trapper captured an alligator measuring nearly 11 feet (3.3 meters) long. The wildlife agency uses professional gator trappers for its Nuisance Alligator Program.

An alligator interacting with humans is deemed a nuisance if it is at least 4 feet (1.2 meters).

The Tampa Bay Times reported the fire department said the gator had been euthanized, but wildlife officials didn’t confirm that Monday.

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