Crocodile Bites Two Florida Swimmers In First Ever U.S. Attack


Two swimmers in Florida came face-to-face with a nine-foot-long crocodile while in the water around 2 a.m. this past weekend, and the pair were bitten by the animal in what is being called the first confirmed U.S. attack ever recorded.

According to The Huffington Post, 26-year-old Alejandro Jimenez, of Doral, and Lisset Rendon, 23, of Miami, jumped into a Coral Gables canal on Sunday and quickly found they had unexpected company. “They started swimming and apparently at some point they came face-to-face with a nine-foot crocodile,” Said Jorge Pino of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. An attack ensued, during which Jimenez was bitten on both the hand and torso, while the crocodile struck at Rendon’s left shoulder.

Jimenez and Rendon ignored warning signs in the area, where it is well known that two crocodiles reside in the canals. Locals have even named the animals, calling the crocodiles Pancho and Snaggletooth. Wildlife officials are attempting to trap the pair, in an effort to move them to a sanctuary. According to Local10, a trapper was able to catch one of the crocodiles on Monday night, yet after a 20 minute fight, it broke free of his line.

Some in the area don’t believe the crocodiles should be moved from the canals they currently call home. “I think they were standing their ground,” local resident Elizabeth Bustin said. “That was their territory. Somebody came into it unexpectedly. They didn’t go for the throat, they didn’t tear a limb off, they bit. If you want to go swimming at 2 a.m., go swimming in a pool, not the canal.”

Other residents, however, think that evicting the crocodiles is long overdue. Walter Lista, who told Local10 he wants the animals removed from the area, said “We’ve been warning about the crocodile situation for a number of years now. It’s a little disturbing.”

While The Inquisitr has previously reported on a video in which a swimmer in Mexico was stalked by a crocodile, narrowly escaping, the attack in Florida is believed to be the first of its kind. According to The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, while other attacks by crocodiles have been reported in the U.S., none have been confirmed.

[Image via Liberty Voice]

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