(MARTIN COUNTY, Fla.) — A woman was attacked by an alligator while swimming in waist-deep water with her boyfriend and dog in Florida, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
The attack occurred on Wednesday, when the 27-year-old woman and her boyfriend took their boat out in the South Fork of the St. Lucie River in Stuart, Florida, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
While the two were swimming in waist-deep water with their dog, “an alligator bit the hand and wrist of the female” and momentarily pulled her underwater, officials said.
The gator released the woman, with her boyfriend “swiftly” jumping in to “save her life,” Martin County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Michael McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday.
The woman’s boyfriend drove her to the boat ramp at Charlie Leighton Park in Palm City, Florida, and the victim was flown to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, Florida, officials said.
The sheriff’s office said the woman — who has not been identified — suffered “several broken bones” in her hand and wrist, along with minor lacerations and scuffing on the top of her hand and wrist.
The dog and the boyfriend were not injured in the attack, officials said.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation responded to the scene and are “awaiting their trapper to locate the alligator,” the sheriff’s office said. FWC confirmed to ABC News the trapper has not yet captured the gator and will continue “removal efforts” on Thursday.
The status of the woman’s condition as of Thursday remains unclear.
Martin County Sheriff’s Office and HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
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