Kayaker killed in alligator attack in Central Florida, officials say

foxnews.com ^ | Andrew Wulfeck

[FamiliarFace]

I used to water ski on Little Lake Sante Fe as a teenager. Never once did I have to worry about gators in there. It’s not that way anymore.

[FamiliarFace]

That’s awful!

[Red Badger]

Gators do not usually head toward a human, they instinctively go under the water to hide.

That the gator was coming toward you indicates that someone had been feeding him in the past, probably several past renters, and that is dangerous. But the gator hears a noise and thinks Din-Din Time!..............

[FamiliarFace]

Exactly!

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

No, the woman did not get out of her boat. It was not even a kayak.

The woman was 61 years old and canoeing with her husband in shallow water. They accidentally ran the canoe over the alligator, who thrashed and flipped the boat. She fell on the alligator and it bit her, killing her.

It was just an accident. Bad situational awareness, I guess, but it can’t be easy for old people to spot alligators just floating around still in the water.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

No, the article is clear about the canoe running over the gator, which thrashed and flipped the boat, causing the woman to fall out.

[Waverunner]

You have to watch “REVENGE OF THE CREATURE”, Part of it is along the St Johns .

[Georgia Girl 2]

One of the biggest gators I have ever seen was out in the middle of Lake Santa Fe. The canal going out to the lake was infested with them.

[MikelTackNailer]

The car in front of me had a U Florida Tennessee vanity license tag.

Tell me about it. Tennessee makes revenue from a vast array of specialized vanity license plates. We have 63 various military plates (branches, medals, specific wars and operations), 47 for colleges (half of which are out of state), 5 of those based on the University of Tennessee plus one for the Pat Summitt Foundation; 7 fraternities, the usual police, fire and emergency service organizations; popular causes (agriculture, environment, animals, etc.), political-leaning causes (Choose Life, Drive Electric, Promote Peace, Save the Bees?). Numbers will fluctuate because introducing new designs is a popular pastime for our legislators.

We've got Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton; bears black, teddy and Memphis Grizzly; fish largemouth, smallmouth and pop art; deer, tigers UT and real ones in a haven; Walking Horses, dogs service, old and neutered; cats cool and spayed; birds eagle, duck, turkey and humming. You can sport sports like Tennessee's Titans and the Atlanta Braves (our unofficial adopted baseball team), a farm, a guitar; boats canoe and sailing; flowers; flags U.S., Confederate and Gadsden's 'Don't Tread On Me'. Here's a link for the whole caboodle:

Tennessee Vanity Plates

There's one for Pearl Harbor Survivors which will have to be retired now. Sons of Confederate Veterans springs eternal. They threw a bone to the socialists with "Equity Alliance" (Proceeds used to benefit Tennesseans with tools & strategies to engage in the civic process & empower them to take action on issues affecting their daily lives through civic engagement, voter registration, voter education, & other related programs). Umm, I'll take 'Save the Bees" for a hundred, Alex.

But the one I have to get is "Crusade Against Darkness" (Funds used exclusively in furtherance of the organization's activities in this state and its mission to help save eyesight for residents of Middle Tennessee in need), because its all Jolly Roger skull & crossbones on a black background with an eyepatch on the skull to justify the design LOL. Happy motoring!

[ladyrustic]

“Darwin award winner of the week. WTF goes kayaking in an alligator infested swamp?“

There are alligators EVERYWHERE in Florida: In every body of water. Even in the holding ponds in housing developments. They are inescapable. Have some pity on the poor woman for heaven’s sake!

[FamiliarFace]

My family has twice lived in homes directly on lakes in central Florida. I can’t imagine living in either of those places now.

[Georgia Girl 2]

My nephew has that house now. The whole area is grown up to where I don’t recognize it anymore.

[FamiliarFace]

Are you from Florida originally? I miss the parts that I grew up around. It’s never the same.

[Georgia Girl 2]

I’m from Jacksonville.

[FamiliarFace]

Cool. My family homestead is in Gainesville. My brother now lives in the house I grew up in, which was the house my grandpa and uncles built. My mom grew up in that house, and after both of her parents died, we moved in to keep it from falling into disrepair. Family business was run on the property next to the house. That was long before zoning happened. When it did, it became a commercial and residential area, side by side. It’s a gem of a place.