Results by Google
Home News 

Story

Trappers Catch Gator That Killed Boy

Posted: 3:22 pm EDT June 20, 2003Updated: 5:45 pm EDT June 20, 2003

ALLIGATORS: Get The Facts!

TAVARES, Fla. -- Trappers killed and removed three more alligators from the Dead River on Friday, including one that killed a 12-year-old boy late Wednesday, investigators said.

Video
  SURVEY
Given the recent alligator attacks, should we try to reduce the gator population?
Trappers already had killed and removed eight alligators from the narrow river, where Bryan Griffin was pulled under while swimming with friends at the Palm Gardens Marina, about 35 miles northwest of Orlando.

Investigators earlier had said they thought one of those eight had killed Bryan, but said later that they're convinced that a 10-foot, 4-inch, 339-pound alligator pulled from the canal Friday morning was the culprit.

"He exhibited the same characteristics as the one that killed the boy," said Lt. Nick Pallitto, a spokesman for the Lake County Sheriff's Office. "He was coming up to the dock. He wasn't afraid."

Late Friday, the medical examiner's office confirmed that injuries on the boy were consistent with the jaws and teeth of that alligator.

"Based on all available information ... we believe the responsible alligator has been removed from the Dead River," the medical examiner's office said in a report.

The other two alligators trapped Friday were about 8 feet long, Pallitto said.

The carcasses were shipped to the medical examiner's office where their stomachs and teeth were examined.

Friends who were swimming with Bryan said they had told him to get out of the water when they spotted the alligator, but he didn't heed their warnings.

Since 1948, there have been 325 documented alligator attacks on humans in Florida, including 12 fatal attacks, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. This was the first ever recorded in Lake County.

More Headlines

Make WFTV Your Power On

Did you ever turn your television off at night and notice the next morning that your set comes on to a different channel? You can set your cable box so that your TV comes on to the station you want. It's easy! Full Story ››
Step-By-Step Text Instructions


Click Picks
Video Clips
Police say surveillance video shows a man purposely drove his car through glass doors and into a courthouse. They say he then calmly got out, with cigarette in hand and walked away.

Strange News Photos

From brilliant to bizarre, our 99-photo slideshow captures a variety of strange news. Photos are added often. Take A Look!

County-By-County News

Get Hyper-Local On WFTV.com

Visit our County-By-County section for the latest news headlines out of your county. » County-By-County

When you take videos or photos of Central Florida news or weather events, iWitness is your place to upload them. » iWitness

Visit your headquarters for county-by-county news and resources, and a place to share community videos and photos. » 9Central