Body Found Of South Florida Woman Killed In Gator Attack

DAVIE, FL — The body of 47-year-old Shizuka Matsuki of Plantation, Florida was found by a search team hours after she was dragged to her death by a 12-foot, 6-inch alligator in a rare alligator attack. A witness told police he spotted Matsuki walking her dogs and then noticed the dogs were barking near the water. Matsuki could not be found.

"Search teams located the body of Shizuka Matsuki at approximately 9:49 p.m., June 8, 2018 at the Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park lake in Davie," explained Robert Klepper of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission early Saturday.

"The FWC will be conducting a thorough investigation into this incident," Klepper addded. "We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Matsuki."

The incident occurred about 10 a.m. Friday at the park. The alligator was removed by an FWC-contracted trapper.

"After an initial necropsy, evidence was found that indicates that the victim of this incident was bitten by the alligator that was captured earlier today," Klepper said on Friday.

The Broward County Animal Care and Adoption agency took possession of the dogs as family members and friends gathered at the lake while authorities continued to search for the woman's body.

Jim Borrelli, a friend of the woman, said she and her husband have walked their dogs in the park previously. The couple did not live in the neighborhood but he said she liked to find different places to walk the dogs.

Borrelli said Friday the woman's husband, who is out of town and trying to fly home, sent him to the park to get more information after being contacted by Davie Police. Borrelli said he was also asked to break the news to the couple's son, who is in his 20s and lives in New York.

Fatal gator attacks on humans are extremely rare. The last death from a gator attack occurred in 2016 when a 2-year-old boy was attacked by a gator while playing near water at Disney World in Orlando.

The wildlife commission reports that the likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only 1 in 3.2 million.

Patch editor Paul Scicchitano also contributed to this report from Miami. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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