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An 85-year-old woman named Gloria Serge was attacked and killed by an alligator in the Spanish Lakes Fairways community in St. Lucie County, Florida. According to reports, the woman was killed on February 20, 2023.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that Serge was walking her dog along a pond in her community in Fort Pierce. They said that was when the alligator tried to take her small dog.
In an attempt to save her pet, Gloria Serge was knocked over and pulled by her foot into the water by the alligator, which is estimated to be at least 10 feet long.
A neighbor tried to save Gloria Serge
Gloria's neighbor, Carol Thomas, resides beside the lake where the tragic incident took place. CBS12 reported that Carol was in her bedroom at around 12 pm when she looked out the window and rushed outside to help Gloria.
She said:
"I heard something and I looked and Gloria was down, the dog was running up the hill and I saw the alligator come out and grab her leg."
Carol attempted to save Gloria Serge when she came up for air and asked her to swim towards a paddle boat that was overturned in the lake. However, Serge was still in the gator's grip.
Thomas also grabbed a long wrought iron pole used to hang outdoor plants to pull Gloria out or distract the alligator. However, she was still dragged down into the water.
Carol said:
"I thought that's very long. If I can get it out to her hand or if I see him (the alligator) maybe I can distract him, hit his nose, something and when I came back she was no longer visible."
Witnesses called 911 and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office responded to it.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that an alligator trapper was dispatched to St. Lucie County following the incident.
It was reported that the alligator did not surface while attempts were made to bring it out of the pond. The gator put up a fight and the trappers had to get a second hook in it and then a hard line in it. It was reported to be between 600 and 700 pounds.
The gator who killed Gloria Serge was euthanized
The body of the victim, Gloria Serge, was recovered and the alligator involved in the incident was captured and ultimately euthanized.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that Gloria's dog survived. The commission also reported that serious injuries due to alligators are rare in Florida.
CBS12 reported that neighbors said Gloria was a widow who had five adult children and several grandkids.
