A child was taken to the hospital on Labor Day after being seriously bitten by an alligator while swimming in a restricted area of Florida, authorities said.
The child, whose age and gender were not made public, suffered bites to the arm and leg from an alligator believed to be between 9 and 12 feet long, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
The attack unfolded Monday afternoon at the Weeki Wachee Preserve, where the youngster became stranded on a sandbar with several other children and could not get back to shore.
Hernando County Fire Rescue was called in and used an airboat to reach the group and bring them safely back.
The injured child was transported to Bayonet Point Hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, the sheriff’s office said.
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A licensed Florida wildlife trapper responded to the scene and placed traps in the hopes of capturing the beast responsible for the attack.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating the violation for swimming – which is strictly prohibited at the preserve.
Officials reiterated the warning for people to obey posted rules at waterways in the state and to exercise extreme caution.
“Do not swim in areas where swimming is prohibited,” the sheriff’s office said.
The Weeki Wachee Preserve spans over 11,200 acres in west-central Florida, and is located about 50 miles north of Tampa.