Child recovering after alligator attack at Florida preserve

A child is recovering after being attacked by an alligator while swimming in a restricted area of the Weeki Wachee Preserve in Hernando County, Florida, on September 7, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. The child, who has not been identified, sustained puncture wounds to the leg and arm from an alligator estimated by officials to be between nine and 12 feet long. Following the attack, the child and several others became stranded on a sandbar in the preserve and were unable to return to the mainland on their own. Hernando County Fire Rescue's Marine Unit reached the group by airboat, bringing them to safety while attending to the injured child. The child was taken to Bayonet Point Hospital, where officials said the injuries were non-life-threatening and the child is expected to recover. The sheriff's office said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the scene and is handling an investigation related to the swimming violation, as the area is a no-swim zone.