Florida woman Cynthia Diekema killed by alligator during couple canoe trip; husband tried to save her

A Florida woman was killed by an alligator during a canoeing trip with her husband, who tried to save her during the surprise attack, officials said.

The husband and wife were canoeing in about 2 1/2 feet of water at the mouth of Tiger Creek near Lake Kissimmee in Polk County on Tuesday afternoon when the boat drifted over a large alligator, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The gator thrashed and tipped the canoe over, throwing both the husband and wife into the water, fish and wildlife officials said.

The victim, 61-year-old Polk County resident Cynthia Diekema, ended up on top of the alligator in the water, the officials said.

She was bitten and her husband tried to save her, officials said. Her body has since been recovered.

An investigation is underway, the agency said. An 11-foot-4-inch alligator matching the description of the gator involved was recovered Tuesday night; a second gator, about 10 to 11 feet long, was recovered Wednesday morning, the officials said.

Roger Young, executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, called Diekema’s death a “devastating loss.”

Deadly alligator attacks are “extremely rare,” but the “tragedy serves as a somber reminder” of the power of local wildlife, Young said at a news conference Wednesday.

To cut down on the risk of gator attacks, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission urges the public to keep their pets away from the water and to only swim in designated areas during the day.