Crocodile bites 68-year-old’s leg in the Everglades

Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
crocodile
Crocodile sunbathing on a rock. Photo courtesy of Keith Kleppinger

A boater got airlifted to the hospital after a crocodile bit his leg in the Everglades.

According to the Everglades National Park Service, a 68-year-old man was swimming to shore after capsizing his sailboat near the Flamingo Marina in the Everglades National Park on Sunday.

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CREDIT: BILL BILLINGS/ FWC

The man was seen going underwater while swimming to land.

Park rangers responded and then treated the man for lacerations on his leg.

Working with the crews from the Miami Dade Fire and Rescue, the man was transported to a nearby hospital. The patient was stable once he was transferred to EMS.

Authorities say the suspected croc is easily identifiable and is being monitored by rangers and park biologists.

The American crocodile is a federally threatened species and looks similar to the American alligator.

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Alligator on top has a more rounded off snout, while crocodiles have a more V-shaped snout. CREDIT: FWC

Click here to learn more about the American crocodile from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Click here to report a problem crocodile.

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