A Florida man is suing an airboat company for negligence after he was bitten by an alligator, according to a complaint filed last month.
Edil Kasenov, of Broward County, visited Airboat Rides at Midway on June 9, 2025, when he was bitten in the face during a free alligator encounter, court documents say. He is suing the Central Florida company for more than $50,000 in damages.
According to the company’s website, it is located in Christmas and offers airboat rides across the St. Johns River. It also states that guests can hold a baby alligator named “Hollywood” at the end of the experience.
Where is Christmas, Florida?
Airboat Rides at Midway is off East Colonial Drive in Christmas, a rural, unincorporated community in Orange County.
What happened to the man bitten by an alligator in Florida?
Kasenov was attending the Alligator Encounter when he was allegedly bitten in the face by an alligator. According to court documents, the man suffered serious bodily injuries, resulting in pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of wages and the “loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life.”
The lawsuit accuses Airboat Rides at Midway of negligence, claiming the airboat company failed to properly train employees and warn Kasenov of the “dangerous and hazardous condition” of the alligator.
“There were no warnings, signs or other devices to warn or indicate the vicious nature of the subject alligator,” the documents claim. “Additionally, there were no measures used by defendant to restrain the alligator or otherwise protect the plaintiff.”
It also adds that Kasenov demands a trial by jury.
Has Airboat Rides at Midway responded?
In a statement to Orlando’s FOX 35, the company claims Kasenov is a “social media influencer who does things for clicks.”
“After our airboat tours end, we take our customers up to our alligator enclosure and take out a baby alligator to be held for free. Nobody is forced to do it if they don’t want to. Before handing the alligator to anyone, the mouth is banded shut so they can’t open their mouth, and every participant is told to hold the alligator with two hands under the front armpits and the other at the base of the tail,” the statement reads.
Continued: “We instruct them to hold the alligator flat and waist to chest level and DO NOT PUT THE ALLIGATOR BY YOUR FACE OR TO PRETEND TO KISS THE ALLIGATOR as they can get startled as swing their head, which is solid bone, hit you in the mouth or face and hurt you.”
They then allege Kasenov did not follow instructions and put his face next to the alligator, which startled and swung into his cheek. They said they applied ointment to the “minor scratches” on his cheek and verified he was okay.
“While here, he posted on his social media, ‘having a good time with it’ calling himself Scarface and even posted ‘They probably think I’m going to sue them but I’m not going to because it was my fault,'” the statement continues. “I have the posts saved on my phone for proof that this is a frivolous suit for money as Mr. Kasenov goes around suing regularly as I believe this is the third attorney he has hired for this suit.”
How bad are alligator bites?
Alligator bites can be extremely severe and even deadly.
An adult alligator can exert over 2,000 pounds of bite force per square inch (PSI), which is enough to easily crush bones, tear off limbs, and cause fatal hemorrhaging, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Their mouths also carry a dense bacterial community, which can cause severe infections if the bite is left untreated.
In 96% of recorded incidents, some form of human inattention or risk-taking behavior preceded an alligator attack, according to a University of Florida study released in April 2025. This shows that these incidents are preventable and not random acts of aggression by alligators.
How many alligators are in Florida?
Alligators can be found in all 67 of Florida’s counties, as well as in nine other states.
In Florida, there are an estimated 1.3 million alligators, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
How big do Florida alligators get?
Female alligators usually grow to less than 9 feet long, while larger ones can weigh over 200 pounds. Male alligators typically reach up to 13 feet in length, with some weighing more than 500 pounds, according to the FWC.
The Florida record for length was a 14-foot-3.5-inch male in Lake Washington in Brevard County.
The Florida record for weight was 1,043 pounds, set by a male found in Orange Lake, Alachua County.
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Alligator bites Florida man in the face. He’s suing an airboat company
Reporting by Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
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By Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
