HOMESTEAD, Fla. — A man visiting the Florida Everglades was bitten by a crocodile as he attempted to swim to shore when he fell off his sailboat, officials said.
The attack occurred Sunday afternoon at the Flamingo Marina in Everglades National Park, according to the National Park Service.
The Everglades is one of the largest wetlands in the world and according to the National Wildlife Foundation, is the only place in the world where American crocodiles and American alligators co-exist. There are about 1 million alligators in Florida, however only a couple thousand crocodiles.
The 68-year-old man capsized his sailboat in the marina basin and was trying to swim to land 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. He was taken 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.
Crocodiles are a federally threatened species. They have narrower, more triangular heads and often prefer coastal, brackish and salt water, while alligators are darker, have broader snouts and are typically found in freshwater.
