Body found in search for woman 'dragged into lake' by 12-foot alligator in Florida

Victim had been walking her dogs at nature reserve near Miami at time of attack

A body has been found in the search for a woman thought to have been killed by an alligator as she walked her dogs near a lake.

A necropsy of a 12-and-a-half foot gator, captured at Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park in Davie, found the animal had bitten Shizuka Matsuki, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

Commission spokesman Rob Klepper said they were able to positively identify the 47-year-old from evidence collected from alligator. He did not specify what the evidence was.

Hours later, authorities later announced they had located the remains of Ms Matsuki, of Plantation, Florida, at the nature park.

“This tragedy is heart-breaking for everyone involved, and our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of the victim at this time,” the commission said in a statement.

A witness told authorities he saw the woman walking two dogs at the reserve. He later noticed the dogs alone, barking near the water.

One of the dogs had a fresh injury, a gash on its side, said Davie Police Detective Viviana Gallinal.

Earlier news media reports indicated the witness reported seeing the creature dragging the woman into the water.

Jim Borrelli, a friend of Ms Matsuki, said she and her husband have walked their dogs in the park previously.

Authorities on the scene of the attack on Friday (AP)

The couple did not live in the neighbourhood, but he said she liked to find different places to walk the dogs. Residents said they often saw her walking them in the area.

Mr Borrelli said Ms Matsuki'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.

Alligators are opportunistic feeders that will eat what is readily available and easily overpowered. Feeding wild alligators is illegal as authorities are concerned they could lose their fear of humans.

However, fatal attacks on humans remain rare. The wildlife commission estimates, the likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during by an alligator unprovoked is roughly one in 3.2 million.

From 1948 to 2017, the commission has documented 401 people bitten by alligators, including 24 fatalities.

The most recent death occurred in 2016, when a two-year-old boy playing near the water's edge at a Walt Disney World resort was killed.

The park where Matsuki disappeared is near the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, a major Miami-area tourist and entertainment attraction.

Sharon Estupinan said a park ranger warned her to walk her dogs farther away from the water's edge after she saw a 10-foot gator in the pond three days ago.

“I was afraid,” she said. “Every time I walked the dogs during the day, I was like, 'Oh, my God, I've gotta keep away from there. I have to call my dogs,' so they wouldn't get close to the water or any of the trees near there because he could be hiding.”

Additional reporting by the Associated Press