HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — A man visiting the Florida Everglades is recovering after being bitten by a crocodile after falling off a boat, officials said.
The attack occurred Sunday afternoon at the Flamingo Marina in Everglades National Park, according to a National Park Service news release.
The 68-year-old man capsized his sailboat in the marina basin and was attempting to swim to shore with his boat when witnesses saw him go under the water, officials said. Park rangers responded and treated a laceration on the man’s leg. Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue transported him to a hospital in stable condition. There was no further information released on his condition.
Rangers and park biologists were investigating and monitoring the suspected crocodile.
A federally threatened species, crocodiles are less common than alligators in Florida although their habitats do overlap. Alligators are darker, have broader snouts and are typically found in freshwater, while crocodiles have narrower, more triangular heads and often prefer coastal, brackish and salt water.