Florida Woman Gets Bit On Face By Alligator

Author Mike O'Brian

November 10th, 2023 4:19 PM

A Florida gator opening it's mouth wide open

You can’t make this kind of stuff up and of course you know where it happened…but a Florida woman got bit in the face by a 9ft. alligator! That was the lead story this morning on The Mike & Carla Morning Show in the “Other News!”

According to report by Fox35/Orlando, Marissa and her friend Shane were snorkeling when the attack happened. She said that it happened so fast. She took off her masked only to see the two beady eyes of a gator staring her in the face. In fact, it was so quick, Marissa didn’t realize she had even been bitten!

The report also states that her boyfriend Shane said all he heard was a “rush of water, then saw the gator!” Next thing he knows is that Marissa’s head is inside the reptile’s mouth!

It’s been a long time since we’ve been to Florida, not too sure I would just snorkel anywhere! We know they encourage the “buddy” system when in the water, not sure if this helped much. And what do you do if you come face to face with a alligator?

Maybe swim away real fast? See, we have no idea! How about this, dive into a POOL!!!! Snorkel in a POOL! Just throwing out some ideas here. Good to know that the girl will be okay, even though it might be a while before she gets back into the water!

However. it was nice to see in the report that Marissa does not blame the alligator. And why would she…she was in the water! WOW, neither Mike O’Brian or Carla Rea would be that calm to talk about such an incident if indeed it would have happened to them.

We’re just glad everyone is okay…including the gator. Just one of the odd stories from this morning in M&C’s “Other News!”

Mike O’Brian is the Program Director and Morning Show host on 96.3 KKLZ in Las Vegas, along with Carla Rea. He has been with the Beasley Media Group for almost 23 years. Mike was named one of the “Best Program Directors In America” by Radio Ink magazine. Over the years, “The Mike & Carla Morning Show” have been presented with a number of proclamations for their work in the community and numerous awards. Having lived in Las Vegas for over 35 years, he writes articles on living in Las Vegas, sports, and odd stories happening within the state of Nevada. Mike is the host of the morning show and program director of 96.3 KKLZ/Las Vegas. He has been doing mornings in Las Vegas for the past 38 years. Over the years, he has hosted a numerous amount of community events and has been the P.A. announcer for a number of sports teams in Las Vegas. He has written on living in Las Vegas, the sports teams here, as well as odd & little-known facts about Las Vegas & Nevada.

Where Nevada Ranks With Attacks By Wild Animals

Living out in the deserts, you have to wonder where Nevada ranks when it comes to people being attacked by wild animals. The Mike & Carla Morning Show started talking about this the other morning. All started with story about a young lady tubing on a river headed toward an alligator. First off, it’s good to know that the state of Nevada is not even in the Top 10!

According to a recent article put out by Outforia, there have been no recorded deaths of attacks by wild animals in the states of Delaware, North Dakota or Rhode Island. No reports over the past two decades! Not really sure where the Silver State ranks, but considering all the wild life, fatalities are very low.

The difference between Southern and Northern Nevada!

Of course living here in Southern Nevada, it’s a little different than what hikers see in Northern Nevada. Oh sure, we have the occasional coyote, even mountain lions have been spotted wondering around. The one huge difference might be the appearance of a black bear! However, encounters with these and other wild life end in death.

On the other hand, bears are listed at the top when it comes to attacks by wild animals. Followed by sharks, snakes, alligators and mountain lions. Okay, so Nevada does have three out the five animals listed, so the warning is just be careful!

With all this considered, you might be a little surprised by what states rank in the Top 5 when it comes to deadly attacks. The good news is that Nevada is ranked near the bottom of this list. Maybe because we all know and stay away from those animals that can do us the most harm!

The states that made the Top 10 might surprise you. States like New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan…all in the Top 10! What states made the Top 5…just scroll down to see…and enjoy!

Top 5 States Where Wild Animals Attack

#5 TENNESSEE
Well, if you think about it, Tennessee is know for their mountain like country, so there is bound to be wild animals roaming around. With that thought in mind, the Volunteer State comes in at #5 on the list of most likely to be attacked by wild animals!
#4 NORTH CAROLINA
Not to be confused with their neighbors to the south. North Carolina is a surprise in the Top 5. But with that said, there has to be reasons as to why. So if you’re traveling their some time soon, just be careful! It’s #4 on the list!
#3 FLORIDA
The state of Florida comes in at #3. Not surprised at all. Sunshine, beaches, the ocean, lakes just means sharks, alligators and more! Florida does have a lot to offer, just be careful next time you’re down there!
#2 CALIFORNIA
It’s the same as Florida when it comes to wildlife, but add in the mountains of Northern California with black bears, mountain lions and more. No wonder this state is #2 on the list!
#1 TEXAS
This one was a but of a surprise. When it comes to wild animal attacks, Texas is #1? But when you look at the stats that over the past 20 years, close to 600 people have been killed by wild animals in Texas, it’s shocking. Especially when you see that California at #2 has only had less than 300. But, there ya go….so when you hit Texas, keep your head on a swival!