Alligator mauls woman canoeing as Florida urges vacationers to avoid disaster with safety tips

Florida wildlife authorities have released a new report on a vicious May alligator attack that took the life of a Michigan woman. 

Cynthia Diekema, 61, was killed while canoeing with her husband near Lake Kissimmee State Park when they unknowingly approached an 11-foot, four-inch alligator lurking beneath the surface, a report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says, according to KETV. 

FWC said that the alligator thrashed underneath the canoe, causing the pair to be thrown into the water. 

An American alligator in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Palm Beach County, Florida, in this U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo released on August 14, 2014. (Reuters)

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"The victim was immediately bitten on the torso, and efforts by her husband to assist her were unsuccessful," according to the report. "The alligator performed a death roll and swam away with the victim."

FWC alligator trappers later caught the alligator. 

Amid the release of the report, FWC announced a new partnership with GatorWise, described as "a new public awareness campaign that aims to promote realistic public perceptions about alligators and assist the public in taking appropriate actions to minimize conflict," in order to help Floridians navigate the waters during the summer, when alligator attacks become more common. 

"Florida has seen tremendous population growth in recent years, with many people living or recreating near water," Matthew Nichols, FWC alligator management program coordinator, said of the partnership. "Because alligators can be found in nearly any water in Florida, it’s safest to always assume they’re present. GatorWise provides consistent, science-based information from across the Southeast to help people safely share the landscape with these important animals."

An alligator just under the surface of the water during an airboat tour of the Florida Everglades on Feb. 6, 2022. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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According to the wildlife authority, there are an estimated 1.3 million alligators in Florida. FWC's 2025 statistics show that there have been two "major" alligator bites through May, one of them being fatal. There have been no "minor" bites this year. 

Last year, there were a total of 11 bites, nine considered major and two minor, with no fatalities. In 2023, there were 23 alligator bites, 18 major and five minor, with two fatalities. 

The GatorWise website provides basic instructions, like assuming alligators are present when near the water, not feeding alligators, not disposing of fish or food scraps in the water, not attempting to pick up an alligator, and ensuring pets aren't wandering shorelines off-leash. 

An alligator populates the Wakodahatchee Wetlands on June 27, 2022, in Delray Beach, Florida. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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"Alligators are native to many wetlands of the southeastern United States, making them critical to the health and balance of these ecosystems," the site says. "Minimizing conflicts with people while maintaining necessary protections from overharvest is crucial to keeping alligator populations stable within their range."

"To do that we must Educate people about alligators, while increasing Respect for these animals and their natural behaviors, which will allow for alligators and humans to Coexist."

Fox News Digital reached out to FWC.