A popular central Florida lakeshore was closed Wednesday after an alligator grabbed a woman who was swimming.
Felicitie Gillette, 24, said she was swimming in Hernando Lake when an alligator stick onto her left arm. She managed to free herself and make it to shore.
Gillette was released from the hospital on Wednesday night.
Hours after the attack, some people jumped back into the water but others remained on edge and refused to go in.
“The alligator was on the hunt. You could tell by the aggressive movements by the alligator,” said Dennis Weis who saw the attack on Gillette.
He said he has a video of an alligator swimming in the same spot just a few days ago.
“When the kids jumped into the water over there, he would go up over there, go under,” he said.
Weis said the county needs to better maintain the lake’s public areas.
“I wish they would clean this marsh up right here a little bit, it would be a little safer, you know because a lot of kids will swim down there,” he said.
County officials say a trapper is working to find the alligator and they hope to have lakefront re-opened by the weekend.
Via: miami.cbslocal.com