Alligator attacks 13-year-old girl at Florida boat ramp. She remains hospitalized

An alligator attacked a teenager at a popular Hardee County paddle boat ramp, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Specifics of the girl’s injuries were not released, but FWC officials described it as “a bite incident.”

It happened around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 24, “near Gardner Boat Ramp in Zolfo Springs,” officials said. The ramp is about 90 miles southeast of Tampa.

“The FWC responded to the scene and a 13-year-old female was transported to the hospital with injuries, but is stable,” officials said.

“A contracted nuisance alligator trapper has been dispatched to the scene.”

The girl was identified as Briann Morr by station WBBH, which reports she was swimming when the alligator bit her on the upper arm, leaving “a hole in it.” She estimates the alligator was 10 to 12 feet in length, the station said.

The trapper will attempt to capture the alligator and eliminate the threat of future attacks on humans. If the alligator is large, it will likely be killed. If small, it may be relocated to a less-populated area.

Investigators did not reveal what the girl was doing at the time of the bite, but Gardner Boat Ramp is along the Peace River and is a popular spot for kayaking, canoeing and rafting, according to Kayakguide.com.

The river is known to be home to large alligators, and paddlers will see them in the water and on the river bank, according to Sarasota Magazine.

This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 4:33 AM with the headline "Alligator attacks 13-year-old girl at Florida boat ramp. She remains hospitalized."