Alligator bites, kills woman swimming in the Little Big Econ River, FWC says

News of an alligator attack Sunday afternoon near the Bar Street trailhead at Little Big Econ State Forest in Seminole County came as a shock to hikers. I've seen really big gators in here. I've never heard of an attack though. According to the Seminole County Fire Department, a woman was swimming with her friends in the nearby river around 1 30 p.m when she was bitten by an alligator. Medics took her to the hospital as a trauma alert. Later in the afternoon, FWC confirmed to West 2 the woman died from her injuries. FWC officers remained on scene for hours using a boat and a UTV as part of their investigation. The entrance to the trailhead also remained closed, forcing multiple hikers like Nancy and Rodney Palmer to go elsewhere. We come out here about once every other week to go for a walk and enjoy being out here. Nancy says those who come here often are familiar with a large gator in the water. There's a place where a female gator hangs out to lay her eggs that she's been doing that. Another hiker shared this photo of a gator here taken just last week. They're usually like in the water side, so you're like kind of protected on the trail, so they're not really close to us. There are several signs near the trailhead entrance warning visitors of gators in the area. Even if it's clear, you can see the bottom. They're just really good at hiding. They're scared of you and you're scared of them, so keep our distance.