TALLAHASEE, Florida — With Tuesday night’s news about a 2-year-old boy being dragged into a Lagoon at a Disney resort in Orlando, many are wondering how common an occurrence a fatal alligator attack is?
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released an updated list in April on alligator bites on people in Florida, that doesn’t include the most recent incidents that are still being actively investigated, including Tuesday’s attack outside the Grand Floridian hotel.
And earlier this month, a Florida retirement community maintenance worker discovered a large alligator with a human body in its mouth.
The report shows that fatal alligator bites are still relatively rare. On average the data show just over 7.5 bites occurring annually.
Of those total number of bites, 23 have been fatal in the 52 years tracked by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The Commission said all bites tracked in their report are considered unprovoked bites, meaning bites on people by wild alligators, which were not provoked by handling or intentional harassment.
The last fatal alligator attack was made on James Okkerse, 61, who was killed while snorkeling in Blue Spring Run in Orange City on October 19 last year.
The 12’ ½” male alligator responsible for that attack was captured and destroyed.
