Another Insane “Florida Man” Story
A “Florida Man” is suing a Central Florida attraction location after claiming he was bitten on the face by an alligator. This, according to a complaint filed in Orange County last month. Edil Kasenov, of Broward County, visited Airboat Rides at Midway in the city of Christmas on June 9th, 2025, say court documents.
The complaint alleges that while at the attraction, Kasenov was bitten on the face by a gator that was handed to him during a free “Alligator Encounter Experience”. The lawsuit accuses Airboats Rides at Midway of negligence, claiming the company failed to properly train employees and warn Kasenov of the “dangerous and hazardous condition” of the gator.
“There were no warnings, signs, or other devices to warn or indicate the vicious nature of the subject alligator,” the lawsuit says. “Additionally, there were no measures used by the defendant to restrain the alligator or otherwise protect the plaintiff.”
According to the lawsuit, Kasenov 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.”
Kasenov, represented by attorneys Berman & Berman, P.A., is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
Who Exactly is Edil Kasenov?
Edil Kasenov is a Kyrgyz-born entrepreneur, motivational speaker, political activist, and social media personality who has developed a substantial online audience through content focused on leadership, patriotism, entrepreneurship, self-improvement, and social issues. His posts are often published in Kyrgyz, Russian, and English and frequently blend motivational messages with political commentary, charitable activities, and discussions about national identity. Public profiles indicate that he has lived and worked in several countries and is currently associated with the Miami, Florida area, where he has business interests and maintains a public presence.
Kasenov describes himself as an independent politician and has highlighted numerous awards and recognitions related to leadership, sports patronage, and civic engagement in Kyrgyzstan. Public records and professional profiles also show involvement in business ventures and community activities, both in Central Asia and the United States. In terms of audience size, his largest platform appears to be Instagram. @edil_kasenov_official has approximately 1.06 million followers.
Overall, Edil Kasenov has built his online reputation around motivational content, political and civic commentary, entrepreneurship, and advocacy for Kyrgyz culture and national pride.
What is This Attraction Known as Airboat Rides at Midway?
Airboat Rides at Midway is located off East Colonial Drive in Christmas. This is in very close proximity to Orlando. The attraction offers daily airboat rides on the St. Johns River.
At the end of the tour, visitors can hold a small baby alligator and take pictures as part of an “Alligator Encounter Experience”, according to Airboat Rides at Midway’s website. In the FAQ section of its website, Airboat Rides says it puts bands around the gators’ mouths during the encounter to “prevent any bites.”
Airboat Rides at Midway Issues a Statement Defending Themselves
Airboat Rides at Midway released a statement to the media to try to set the record straight, calling Kasenov a “social media influencer that 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.”
“We instruct them to hold the alligator flat and waist to chest level and to not put the alligator by your face or pretend to kiss the alligator as they can get startled and swing their head, which is solid bone, and hit you in the mouth or face and hurt you.”
“Mr. Kasenov is a “Social Media Influencer” that does antics for clicks and did exactly what he was told NOT TO DO and stuck his face next to the alligator for a family picture that they requested to be taken and as soon as he put his face by the alligator, it got startled and it swung its head, slapping Mr. Kasenov in the check bone causing some minor scratches. We gave him some ointment and confirmed he was okay. He said he was.
While here, at our attraction, 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”. 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.
It seems that if the defense story is indeed true, this guy doesn’t have an alligator claw to stand on.
