BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — Officials found the body of a woman who witnesses said was pulled into a South Florida lake by an alligator, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Shizuka Matsuki. Search teams located the body of Ms. Matsuki June 8 at the Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park lake in Davie. We will be conducting a thorough investigation into this incident.
— MyFWC (@MyFWC) June 9, 2018
Authorities have identified the woman as 47-year-old Shizuka Matsuki late Friday.
They said she was bitten and probably killed by an alligator while she was out walking her dogs next to a Florida lake.
FWC said in a statement that a necropsy of the reptile Friday produced evidence "that indicates the victim ... was bitten by the alligator."
Read: Things to know about alligators in Florida
Davie Police Detective Viviana Gallinal says a witness told authorities Friday morning that he saw the woman walking two dogs and then noticed the dogs alone, barking near the water. One of the dogs had a fresh injury.
Gallinal said trappers had seen a 12-foot alligator and residents said they've also noticed a large gator in the area recently.
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Davie police tell news outlets that officers responding to Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park found a dog on a leash but no signs of the woman.
Trappers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spent the day searching for the alligator.
In a Sun Sentinel report , Davie Police Maj. Dale Engle said the woman's dogs would not leave the pond as divers searched for her Friday morning.
Engle said one of the dogs also was bitten by the alligator.
The pond is in a park near the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a major Miami-area tourist and entertainment attraction.
Authorities closed the park Friday.
Fatal attacks on humans remain rare, however. According to the wildlife commission, the likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only 1 in 3.2 million.
Associated Press
