are there alligators in lake thonotosassa

Once you walk past the gate, you will see the marked trail to the lake on the right-hand side. The lake was also a religious site. An alligator bit a man at Lake Thonotosassa in Thonotosassa, Florida, shown in a file photo from February 19, 2020. on All Rights Reserved. Did you encounter any technical issues? A Florida man was hospitalized last week after an alligator bit him in the face. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. An alligator bit a man's face while he was swimming in Lake Thonotosassa in Florida, according to officials. 9. 222,553 Samples. A file photo of an alligator with its mouth open. Out of these attacks, 26 were fatal and one fatal injury in nearly every three years, the US media outlet says. That object turned out to be an alligator swimming underwater coming at him. "I just heard a scream and I looked up, and I didnt see anything," a witness said. When he visits home he enjoys spending time with his family Rottie, Opie. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards. Ross drone captured the attack on camera. For the fourth time in the last three weeks, someone in the Tampa Bay region has been attacked by an alligator. Pine flatwoods cover a significant proportion of the park, although hardwood and sand pine forests are also found within the park. Also Read: Alligator in Florida Euthanized After Being Found With Knife Sticking on its Head. Mothers are very protective. "Its usually not the person feeding the gator that gets bit, it's somebody that doesnt even know theres a gator there that ends up getting bit," said ZooTampa Associate Curator of Reptiles & Fish, Dan Costell. Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, which explains why cases of them attacking humans are rare. Ross, who unknowingly captured the attack from above, said he couldnt believe La Verde survived the encounter. In the US alone, alligator attacks are common in the Florida and Louisiana. The parks management has installed several signs warning visitors to avoid feeding the alligators or swimming in the lake. Hillsborough Bay Watershed. This witness did not want to go on-camera but said the swimmer was far away and did not seem to be panicking. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A drone video has emerged showing a swimmer in Lake Thonotosassa, outside of Tampa, Florida, fending off an alligator attack before racing to the shoreline. He somehow managed to place his hands inside the gators mouth, felt its teeth as it struggled, and rolled with him in water. He went for a swim in Lake Thonotosassa just outside of Tampa on Wednesday, August 3 when the alligator swam directly upon him and began to attack, per WFTS Tampa News.. La Verde, who often goes by "JC Defeats," was swimming in the lake to film an instructional video for his company . The lakes average depth is six feet, and the deepest part is 13 feet. The lake area is also popular among golfers, given the beautiful course on the shores. McGuiness had epilepsy and was diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumor. The alligator that attacked La Verde miraculously let him go after one massive bite on his head Credit: Getty. However, each of those needs to be thoroughly analyzed to determine if an alligator was actually involved and if it was provoked or unprovoked. We Publish News 24/7. Residential development surrounds the lake. There have been at least three fatal alligator attacks in the US this year. suffered a frightening attack by an alligator, avoiding weedy areas during nesting and hatching season. Juan Carlos La Verde poses with his wife, Christine, inside their living room. Drone pilot Matt Ross was filming Juan Carlos La Verde, a firefighter and paramedic, when La Verde suddenly felt a 12-foot gator pierce his skin and make his head pop, per Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. THONOTOSASSA, Fla. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said an alligator bit someone Wednesday afternoon, sending them to the hospital. This attack, along the shoreline of Lake Thonotosassa in Hillsborough County, was actually captured on video by drone hovering above the lake. on Thonotosassa, Lake is a 946 acre, Private lake located in Unincorporated Hillsborough County. La Verde later described the horror of realizing that the beast was swallowing him alive. It was not until the man walked back to the private property where he had parked that it was clear he had been attacked by an alligator. Later in the emergency room, La Verde underwent a six-hour craniotomy and jaw surgery that saw surgeons remove a section of his temporal lobe. However, the park management limits the maximum boat motor to 20 horsepower. A witness at the scene of the attack said they only heard a scream initially and later, the victim emerged from the water with a "big gash" and taken to the hospital., Viral News, Times Now European immigrants later settled in the place. Residential homes surround the lake, but you can access it using any of the four roads that go around the water body. 15402 N US Highway 301, Thonotosassa, FL 33592-2318. Nuisance alligators those that are 4 feet longer or more and believed to pose a threat to people, their pets, or property are trapped and killed by the agency through its Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program. La Verde attributed his survival to his instincts, luck, and divine intervention. The agency also urges people to avoid alligators, as well as handling or feeding them. Click for details. Two weeks after, the Brandon man is out of the hospital but has a long road to recovery ahead of him.. On Aug. 3, JC was at Lake Thonotosassa shooting an instructional video for an upcoming event through his company . Largo Police retrieved Sean McGuinesss body from the alligator-infested Taylor Lake on May 31, 2022. The relatively frequent alligator attacks or encounter in Florida is somehow expected, since there is a large number of the animal's population across the Sunshine State. And I had a med kit in my car so I gave him gauze and an emergency kit to stop the bleeding and then the ambulance showed up.". Copyright 2023 NATURE WORLD NEWS All rights reserved. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The alligator bit the face of a man while he was swimming in Lake Thonotosassa in Florida, in a case of another unprovoked attack in the state. It covers 2,400 acres and extends three miles from the southern section of the beautiful lake. See a water quality problem happening? Scroll to read more Tampa Bay News articles. JC La Verde, firefighter and paramedic for Oldsmar Fire Rescue, had been swimming in Lake Thonotosassa, towards the northeast of Tampa, on August 3 when the alligator attacked, according to a . THONOTOSASSA, Fla. - It is hard to say what is more incredible, that JC Defeats was bitten in the head by an alligator and survived, or that the brutal attack was caught on camera. Download Data Waterbody Characteristics. La Verde, 34, was swimming in Lake Thonotosassa in suburban Tampa during filming of an instructional video for DefeatX, an organization that aims to help people dealing with anxiety and depression through athletic endeavors. Dont Miss A Story. The 34-year-old victim survived the incident and was immediate hospitalized following yet another unprovoked alligator attack in the state. It is unclear if whether or not the man was aware of the danger lurking in the Florida lake, which is a common habitat of the reptiles in the state but also in other inland bodies of water in the United States and other countries worldwide. Police suspect that the alligators were in their mating or nesting season when they became most irritable, which explains why they viciously attacked McGuiness. Taylor Lake is not the most crocodile-infested water body in Florida, but it is the location of the first incident involving an alligator attack in 2022. 7:49 am. Updated To make things worse, McGuiness was retrieving the disk courses during the early morning hours, alone, before people arrived at the golf course. DeSantis says Disney lawsuit is 'political', By Jim Turner and News Service of Florida. A number of these deadly alligator attacks occurred within the lake or its vicinity as people go near them. There have been at least three fatal alligator attacks in the US this year. Luckily, the scary incident only lasted a few seconds, and La Verde managed to wrestle his way out of the jaws of death. By the time he noticed that he was under attack, almost half of his body was in the alligator. Presented By: The trail begins at the parks parking lot, which is separated from the park by a wildlife gate. 5:28 PM EDT, Sun August 7, 2022. Tue, Aug 16, 2022 at 5:17 pm. Lake Thonotosassa covers over 800 acres and is the largest in Hillsborough County. Juan Carlos La Verde, 34, of Brandon, was swimming in Lake Thonotosassa last Wednesday afternoon when the alligator . 105 Sampling Locations. The FWC, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue all responded to the scene. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Max Steele Lake Manatee also serves as a freshwater reservoir for Sarasota and Manatee counties. Find your God. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. When you walk down it by the lake, you'll stand right there and look at you like he's in a hunting mode," he explained. A Florida man swimming in a 839-acre lake suffered a frightening attack by an alligator earlier this month. There have been at least three fatal alligator attacks in the US this year. This is a generic photo of Lake Thonotosassa and does not show the specific site of the attack. Lake Thonotosassa is located in Hillsborough County near Tampa. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (CW44 News At 10 | CNN) -- An alligator bit a man's face while he was swimming in Lake Thonotosassa in Florida, according to officials. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The trail to Taylor Lake starts with a flat area followed by a steady climb towards the lake. He specializes in travel content. Lake Manatee park offers visitors several activities, including spotting several species of wildlife, including bobcats, quail, deer, and gopher tortoises. In 2022, one fatality was recorded in Taylor Lake while two people lost their limbs to these reptiles in Lake Manatee and Lake Thonotosassa. An alligator bit a man at Lake Thonotosassa in Thonotosassa, Florida, shown in a file photo from February 19, 2020. Despite the scenic environment and inviting waters, swimming is discouraged in the lake. (Photo : Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images). The man was swimming in lake Thonotosassa, Florida, when he bumped into an alligator with a length of nearly four meters. the FWC in November 2021 stated there were 442 . Juan Carlos La Verde can be seen swimming . Tampa Theatre secures $14 million for repairs and restorations, USF president says student protesters caused an active shooter response from staff, Following report of a shrinking canopy, City of Tampa plans to plant 30,000 trees by 2030, Florida bill allowing landlords to charge tenants a monthly non-refundable fee in lieu of a security deposit heads to DeSantis, By Jim Saunders and News Service of Florida, Florida Republicans vote to lower gun-buying age, reversing changes made after Parkland, Florida Republicans clear path for DeSantis to run for president without resigning.