A 61-year-old woman lost her life following an alligator attack while canoeing with her husband on Lake Kissimmee, Florida, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, officials reported.
Cynthia Diekema of Davenport, Florida, and her husband were navigating a 14-foot canoe in around 30 inches of water near where Tiger Creek enters Lake Kissimmee when their canoe moved over a large alligator, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Officials indicated the attack took place around 4:05 p.m. when the alligator, startled by the canoe, reacted violently, flipping the vessel. Both Diekema and her husband were thrown into the water, with Diekema ending up directly on the alligator.
The animal immediately bit Diekema, and despite her husband’s attempts to save her, he was unable to free her from the alligator. A sheriff’s office radio transmission obtained by CBS affiliate WKMG recorded the chaotic moments after the attack.
“Gator grabbed her out of the canoe,” a sheriff’s deputy can be heard saying in the transmission. “He tried to fight the gator off. We’re at the last place he saw her. He left the paddle here where he last saw her at.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, along with marine units, responded to the location and aided in the search for Diekema. Her body was eventually found by a sheriff’s office helicopter and retrieved by FWC officers on a vessel.
FWC Major Evan Laskowski stated that nuisance alligator trappers were sent to the area Tuesday night. They captured two large alligators, including an 11-foot, 4-inch one matching the description of the alligator in the fatal incident. Another alligator, about 10 to 11 feet long, was captured Wednesday morning.
FWC Officer Bradley Johnson noted that investigators do not view this as a predatory attack. Johnson mentioned that officials consider it “a defensive incident where they came upon the alligator beneath the water’s edge and when the canoe struck it, it caused a reaction,” as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.
Roger Young, executive director of the FWC, extended condolences to Diekema’s family and friends. He stated that while fatal alligator attacks are extremely rare, this incident highlights the presence of powerful wildlife in Florida’s natural areas.
Lake Kissimmee, spanning roughly 35,000 acres across Polk and Osceola counties in Florida, is noted for having one of the highest alligator populations in the state. The FWC estimates about 1.3 million alligators reside throughout Florida’s 67 counties.
This marked the second alligator incident in the same area in recent months. In March, a woman was bitten on the arm by an alligator while kayaking with others, though that attack was not fatal.
Since 1948, there have been 487 unprovoked alligator bites on humans in the state, with 339 classified as major bites and 27 resulting in deaths.
A study by University of Florida experts found that over 90% of recorded alligator incidents involved some form of human inattention or risk-taking prior to the attack.
The incident occurred during alligator mating season, typically from April to June. While the FWC notes that alligators aren’t necessarily more aggressive during this period, they are more active, increasing the chances of human-alligator encounters.
Young mentioned that the FWC evaluates the alligator population annually and has raised the limit for the statewide alligator hunt by 1,000 tags. Along with their Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, the FWC removed up to 15,000 alligators from the wild over the past year.
The FWC advises individuals to be aware of potential alligator presence near fresh or brackish water. They recommend swimming only in designated areas during daylight, supervising children near water, and not feeding or attracting alligators.
If someone encounters an alligator they believe poses a risk to people, pets, or property, the FWC encourages calling their Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 1-866-FWC-GATOR (392-4286). The program sends contracted nuisance alligator trappers to remove alligators four feet in length or greater that are believed to pose a threat.
Residents in Diekema’s Citrus Ridge 55-plus community expressed shock and sadness over the incident. “Such a sweet lady. Makes you realize none of us are promised tomorrow,” said neighbor Lynda Miller, who described Diekema as a kind and friendly presence in the community.
