Florida Man Sues Airboat Tour Company After Alligator Bites His Face During ‘Free Encounter’
There are certain phrases in the English language that should, in theory, be enough to make anyone think twice. “Free alligator encounter” is one of them. Yet here we are — covering a lawsuit filed by a South Florida man who visited an airboat attraction in Christmas, Florida, and left with a face-level introduction to one of the state’s most dangerous reptiles.
Edil Kasenov, the plaintiff, visited Airboat Rides at Midway back in June 2025. The attraction offered a complimentary “Alligator Encounter” as part of its standard package. What was likely marketed as a fun, up-close experience turned into a medical emergency when the alligator bit Kasenov in the face, causing injuries serious enough to require hospitalization and what the lawsuit describes as permanent disfigurement.
The legal complaint, obtained by WKMG News 6, accuses the company of negligence on multiple fronts. According to the filing, there were no posted warnings about the animal’s potential for aggression, no signage alerting visitors to the risks, and no physical restraints or protective barriers separating the alligator from guests. The lawsuit argues that this combination created an unreasonably dangerous situation that the operator had a clear obligation to prevent.
Kasenov is seeking damages in excess of $50,000. But beyond the dollar figure, the case raises broader questions about how seriously Florida’s tourist attractions treat the inherent unpredictability of wild animals when they are used as part of commercial entertainment.
Airboat Rides at Midway is a long-running ecotourism business located in Christmas, Florida — a small unincorporated community in Orange County about 25 miles east of Orlando. The company offers airboat tours through the wetlands of the St. Johns River ecosystem, one of the most biologically diverse river systems in the United States. Alligator encounters are a major draw for visitors, as the area is home to a dense wild alligator population.
It remains unclear from publicly available records whether the alligator involved in the incident was a captive animal, a semi-wild one, or one pulled directly from the surrounding marsh. That distinction could matter in court, but the lawsuit focuses on the company’s failure to warn or protect visitors regardless of the animal’s origin.
Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators spread across all 67 counties. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission handles thousands of nuisance alligator complaints each year and runs a well-established trapping and removal program. Despite the massive population, fatal attacks are statistically rare — though non-fatal bites occur more often than most tourists realize. According to commission data, there were an average of about seven unprovoked alligator bites per year in Florida between 2018 and 2023, with many more provoked incidents going unreported.
What makes this case stand out is not the bite itself but the context. Alligators used in commercial tourism settings operate under fundamentally different conditions than animals encountered in the wild. Visitors typically have little frame of reference for alligator behavior and reasonably assume that someone in charge has assessed and managed the risk. If that assessment was inadequate, the legal system exists to sort out responsibility.
Under Florida premises liability law, businesses are required to maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors. When live animals are involved, that duty of care extends to ensuring appropriate barriers, training, and warnings are in place. Courts have generally held that companies cannot simply waive responsibility for inherently dangerous conditions by labeling something an “encounter” and hoping for the best.
The lawsuit’s central claim — that no warnings or restraints were present — will likely determine the outcome if the case goes to trial. Florida courts have handled similar lawsuits involving theme parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and roadside attractions. In most of those cases, the ruling turned on whether the business took reasonable precautions and whether the visitor was clearly informed of the risk they were assuming.
Central Florida’s tourism economy is enormous, built in part on the state’s unique natural environment and the wildlife that comes with it. Airboat tours, gator wrestling shows, and wildlife parks are a genuine part of the regional experience and draw visitors from around the world. Most of these operations run responsibly and without incident. But this case serves as a reminder that “wild animal attraction” is not a contradiction in terms to be glossed over.
Animals do not read scripts, honor schedules, or accommodate photo opportunities on command. When businesses profit from placing visitors in proximity to genuinely dangerous animals, the margin for error is essentially zero. A thorough warning, a proper barrier, or a well-trained handler can mean the difference between a memorable vacation story and a lawsuit seeking $50,000 in damages for a facial injury that will not fade from memory.
The case remains active. Airboat Rides at Midway has not issued a public statement in response to the filing. Legal experts say the outcome will be closely watched by the state’s wildlife tourism sector, as it could set a precedent for how closely these attractions must manage risks — and how much they can rely on a simple disclaimer to shield themselves from liability.