The bizarre case of an alligator dragging an elderly woman into a nearby pond and drowning her has left residents in Southeast Florida in shock.
The incident reportedly occurred while the 85-year-old was walking with her dog. The canine managed to survive the attack.
Authorities could recover the body, while a contracted nuisance alligator trapper captured the alligator soon after.
According to CNN, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued a statement on the grisly encounter on 21 Feb.
The victim, Gloria Serge, was walking her small dog near a retention pond within the Spanish Lakes Fairways community in Fort Pierce, Florida, on 20 Feb.
Source: Golf Property
The alligator then attempted to take her dog.
Ms Serge tried to save it from the alligator’s jaws, an eyewitness told CBS News. But the reptile also attacked her, dragging her into the pond by her foot.
Pulled into deeper water, Ms Serge passed away.
Speaking to CNN, commission spokesperson Arielle Callender said the canine survived the attack.
Officials later recovered her body while the dog was undergoing treatment for injuries.
Ms Serge’s neighbour, 77-year-old Carol, witnessed the gruesome attack.
Speaking to local TV station WPBF, she said she saw the reptile drag the victim into the water and ran forward to help.
Source: WPBF
Seeing her come up for air, Carol urged her to swim towards the paddle boat. She was unable to, however, saying, “I can’t. The gator has me.”
Carol then called emergency services before returning to her house to find the longest pole in her possession.
“I thought… I’ll put that out in the water and hook her or hit him,” she said. “[But] she was not there anymore.”
Carol had no choice but to wait for her friend to resurface. She said, “It haunts me. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t get in the water.”
Ms Serge was a kind member of the community, Carol added.
The commission stated that a contracted nuisance alligator trapper captured the alligator involved in the attack. It was later euthanised.
Source: Daily Mail
According to the Daily Mail, wildlife experts discovered the alligator at the bottom of the pond and dragged it out of the water.
In footage by CBS News, an official sat on top of the reptile while they worked on subduing it.
Source: CBS News
It was “definitely a fight”, said Robert Lilly, an alligator trapper working for the commission.
“Got a second hook in him and then a hard line in him so we could get him up,” he added.
Source: CBS News
The commission further noted in their statement that serious injuries resulting from alligator attacks are rare in Florida, CNN reports.
“The FWC places the highest priority on public safety and administers a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) to address complaints concerning specific alligators believed to pose a threat to people, pets or property,” they added.
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Featured image adapted from CNN.
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