And 68-year-old man was bitten by a crocodile after his boat capsized and fell into the water, in a marina in the Everglades National Parkin Florida, last Sunday.
The reptile attack occurred at approximately 4:43 in the afternoon in Flamingo Marina, in the Evergladesand caused the man a leg lacerationfor which he had to receive immediate medical attention, reported the National Park Service (NPS) in a statement.
The man capsized his pleasure sailboat in the marina dock and was trying to swim toward shore with his boat, when witnesses saw him sink underwater.
The park rangers responded quickly to the alert and coordinated with Miami Dade Fire and Rescue to transport the injured man to the hospital.
According to the note, “the patient was stable at the time of transport to emergency medical services providers.” To date, no further information has been provided regarding the condition of the injured person.
After the incident, park rangers and biologists proceeded to investigate and monitor the alleged crocodilewhich they assured “is easily identifiable.”
The National Park Service began coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) “to evaluate the situation and follow the Response Plan to the American Crocodile-Human Interaction”.
He also warned that, even though the park is a safe place to visit, visitors should remain alert and exercise caution, especially around wildlife. “Swimming or wading is prohibited in all canals, ponds, freshwater lakes, marked channels and boat launches in Everglades National Park,” the statement said.
The Everglades, in addition to being one of the largest wetlands in the world, It is the only place on the planet where American crocodiles and American alligators coexist.according to the National Wildlife Foundation. There are around 1.8 million alligators living there, but only 2,000 crocodiles..
The FWC considers rare for an American crocodile to bite a human. Until Sunday’s incident, the only documented case of a crocodile bite on a person had occurred in 2014, agency spokesperson Lauren Claerbout told The Associated Press.
Claerbout said that also It’s strange that alligators bite humans.. However, In Florida, there are about eight unprovoked alligator bites on humans each year..
He American crocodile is a federally threatened species and it looks a lot like american alligator. Crocodiles have narrower, more triangular heads and often prefer coastal, brackish and salty waters; while alligators are darker, have wider snouts, and are usually found in fresh water.
