Fla. landscaper given stitches after gator bite

SANIBEL, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities say a southwest Florida landscaper got a scare after a 6-foot alligator jumped up from a decorative pond and grabbed her hand as she attempted to clear some weeds.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation says 56-year-old Lauri Olin was working on the pond in Sanibel Wednesday morning when the alligator attacked. Olin kicked the gator and it let her go.

Police say the pond was about the size of a swimming pool and maybe three or four feet deep.

Olin was taken to a nearby medical center and given stitches to her right hand.

Eight people have been bitten by alligators in Florida so far this year.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)