Man killed by alligator after going for late-night swim in marina

American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) teeth

A man has died in Texas after an alligator attacked him when he went for a late-night swim at a marina.

The 28-year-old man, Tommie Woodward, was at the dock with a woman on Friday when he went for a swim at Burkart's Marina.

Police said Tommie suffered severe trauma to a limb and a Texas game warden found his body two hours after the attack.

According to Sky News, an onlooker told him not to go into the water but he took the plunge anyway and was immediately attacked.

The woman jumped into the water to try to rescue Mr Woodward and said she felt something brush against her. The woman was not hurt.

Orange police Captain Robert Enmon told the Star Tribune that the owners of the marina recently spotted a large alligator and had put up a sign warning people not to enter the water.

He said the alligator could have been startled or was possibly protecting its habitat.

"You've got to remember that alligators are a predatory species, they are territorial, and they will take advantage of an opportunity," he said.