BREAKING NEWS Horrifying new details reveal how vicious alligator 'death rolled' grandma while her helpless husband watched
A harrowing new report has detailed how a massive alligator lunged from beneath the water and fatally attacked a canoeist near Lake Kissimmee State Park.
The victim, 61-year-old Cynthia Diekema, had been canoeing with her husband in shallow water when the predator struck in May.
Officials revealed the couple's 14-foot canoe was gliding through just two feet of water when the gator struck - causing Cynthia to fall directly on top of the beast, triggering the fatal attack.
Her brave husband, Dave Diekema, tried to fight the alligator off, but was unable to save his beloved wife - and he was forced to watch it make off with her lifeless body.
New details revealed that Cynthia's torso was ravaged by the beast - before it performed a death roll and swam away with the grandma lodged in its vicious teeth.
A 'death roll' is a hunting technique employed by alligators to subdue and dismember their helpless prey.
Feeding alligators is illegal and strongly advised against by the FWC which warns the practice can lead to gators losing their natural reticence and becoming a nuisance.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene around 4 p.m. and found Cynthia's body floating in the water. She was recovered and pronounced dead at the scene.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wrote in its chilling report: 'The victim was immediately bitten on the torso, and efforts by her husband to assist her were unsuccessful. The alligator performed a death roll and swam away with the victim.'
A police radio call captured the horror of the moment: 'Gator grabbed her out of the canoe,' an officer relayed. '[Her husband] 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.'
In the wake of Cynthia's death, multiple alligators have been trapped in the area. Officials plan to examine the stomach contents of each animal to determine which one was responsible.
FWC statistics show this is one of only two 'major' alligator bites reported so far this year - and the only fatal one. In 2023, there were 23 reported bites, including two fatalities.
The tragedy has prompted FWC to launch GatorWise, a new campaign to educate Floridians about gator safety and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
'Because alligators can be found in nearly any water in Florida, it's safest to always assume they're present,' said FWC's Matthew Nichols. 'GatorWise provides science-based information… to help people safely share the landscape with these important animals.'
Cynthia's final Instagram post, a collage of smiling vacation photos with her husband, has now become a memorial, filled with emotional tributes.
'You seemed like a genuine, beautiful soul. How lucky you were to live such a fun and rich life for decades, but how terrible it is to lose it in such a way,' wrote one follower.
'Even more terrible that you were so loved, so cherish that your death will affect so many of those around you. May God watch over your family, may you find the peace that you deserve, and may the memory of your light never dim.'
Another commented: 'So sad. Thoughts and prayers for your girls and granddaughter. I was always terrified of them when we lived down there.'
Under Florida's Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, trappers respond to reports of gators posing a danger to people or pets.
FWC advises residents to avoid feeding gators, keep pets on leashes, and never swim outside designated areas, especially at night.
A woman has been killed by an alligator while canoeing with her husband on a Florida lake
Though fatal gator attacks are rare, this was the second incident at Lake Kissimmee in just two months.
In March, a woman was bitten on the elbow by an alligator in the same area - raising alarms among locals.
The FWC has advice for alligator safety which recommends keeping a safe distance if one is spotted.
Swimmers should keep to designated areas and avoid swimming at night or with pets, which should also be kept on a leash and away from the water's edge.
Feeding alligators is illegal and strongly advised against by the FWC which warns the practice can lead to gators losing their natural reticence and becoming a nuisance.
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