In a tragic incident on Tuesday afternoon, a Florida woman lost her life when an alligator capsized her canoe and attacked her in Lake Kissimmee, located south of Orlando and east of Tampa.
Cynthia Diekema, aged 61, was seated at the bow of the couple’s 14-foot canoe while she and her husband paddled through the shallow waters near the mouth of Tiger Creek, as reported by The Lakeland Ledger.
As the couple floated over an alligator in approximately 2.5 feet of water, the aquatic predator reacted violently, flipping their canoe. “She ended up on top of the alligator in the water and was bitten,” said Maj. Evan Laskowski of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission during a news conference held the next day.
Efforts by her husband to intervene were in vain, Laskowski noted. Tragically, a sheriff’s office helicopter later discovered Diekema’s body floating in the lake.
Bradley Johnson, the public information officer for the FWC Division of Law Enforcement, emphasized that such attacks are infrequent. “This is not believed to be a predatory incident but rather a defensive one, triggered when the canoe struck the alligator,” Laskowski explained at the press briefing.
Later that evening, trappers captured two alligators fitting the description of the one involved in the attack: one measuring 11 feet, 4 inches, and the other between 10 and 11 feet long, according to WKMG-TV in Orlando. Both alligators were subsequently euthanized.
Florida woman killed by alligator during couple canoe trip. Cynthia Diekema of Polk County, was canoeing with her husband at the mouth of Tiger Creek near Lake Kissimmee when their vessel drifted over a large alligator in approximately 2.5 feet of water.https://t.co/LKWfCApbAm pic.twitter.com/3fZC4GK1rD
— News Channel3 Now (@newschannel3now) May 8, 2025
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission continues to investigate the incident.
Col. Roger Young, executive director of the commission, stated, “While alligator attacks that result in fatalities are extremely rare, this tragedy serves as a sobering reminder of the powerful wildlife that inhabit our natural spaces.” A previous incident in March saw a woman attacked by an alligator while kayaking along Tiger Creek, resulting in severe injuries.
Statistics reveal Lake Kissimmee boasts the second-highest alligator population in Florida, with over 16,000 of these reptiles, trailing only behind Lake Okeechobee, which tops the list, according to a 2024 FWC census cited by The Lakeland Ledger.
Alligators are indeed a significant concern in the state, prompting the establishment of an alligator elimination program, as reported by Florida Today. The Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program employs contracted trappers to remove alligators deemed a threat to humans, pets, or property, ensuring a semblance of safety in the region’s wetlands.
This article was originally published on The Western Journal.
