Hi Park enthusiasts, I'm your host, Dilya DeAmbra.

And the story I have for you today takes place in Ocala National Forest in Central Florida.

Two college students who had a deep love for the outdoors ventured out on an overnight camping

trip and met someone who quite literally was a walking nightmare.

For those of you wondering where the heck Ocala National Forest is, it's just north of

Orlando and it's the oldest National Forest in Florida.

According to the USDA National Forest website, it's made up of more than 380,000 acres of

sandpind scrub, sandy terrain, and a variety of palm trees.

There are also roughly 600 lakes, ponds, and crystal clear natural springs.

And when I say crystal clear, I mean it.

Florida's natural tropical climate gives many of these springs a beautiful aquamarine

blue that almost doesn't even look real.

I've lived in Florida for several years and I can personally attest to how mesmerizing

these water features are.

The remoteness and natural beauty that this forest offers are exactly why the two campers

in today's story decided to stay there in January of 2006.

Florida's balmy weather in the winter months compared to the rest of the country that time

of year makes it ideal for being in the outdoors overnight.

But the seclusion that attracted these campers to a waterfront spot in Ocala's vast woods

is also what made them vulnerable to a ruthless predator lurking in the forest.

A predator, his diabolical nature, became clear to everyone living in central Florida.

As clear as the springs surrounding his young victims 17 years ago.

...