Florida authorities kill nearly record-setting alligator that ‘clamped’ woman in its mouth

Florida authorities kill nearly record-setting alligator that ‘clamped’ woman in its mouth

Florida wildlife officials have killed a 13-foot, 8.5-inch alligator after it was seen with the body of a 41-year-old woman in its mouth, reports say.

A news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office says the remains of Sabrina Peckham were found in a canal in Largo. The county’s medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death, the sheriff’s office says.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to the waterway just before 2 p.m. Friday after a witness reported seeing a body in the canal. Spectrum News reports the witness says he saw the alligator with the victim’s body in its mouth.

“I noticed it had a body in its mouth — like a lower torso — so once I saw that I ran straight to the fire department,” Jamarcus Bullard said, according to Yahoo! News. “It was just clamped onto it, and swam backwards to the bottom of the canal … I just couldn’t believe it was real.”

The victim’s daughter says her mother was living in a homeless camp near the area.

The record for the longest alligator found in Florida is a 14 foot 3-1/2 inch male from Lake Washington harvested in Brevard County in 2010, according to a report from The Miami Herald.