An elderly woman in Florida was killed on Monday by an alligator who attacked her while she was walking her dog.
Woman Killed by Alligator
Neighbors told CBS News that the alligator emerged from the water at her retirement community and suddenly dragged the woman under.
The alligator initially grabbed the woman’s dog, then attacked her after she tried to save her pet, CNN affiliate WPTV reported. The dog survived the attack, but no details were revealed about the severity of its injuries.
“The victim has been recovered, and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper has captured the alligator involved in the incident,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement.
The Details
The deadly encounter happened just after noon at Spanish Lakes Fairways, a 55-plus living community near Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County.
Video and photos of the aftermath showed the large gator being wrangled by at least six people at times before being loaded into the back of a pickup truck.
Several roads in the area were closed while police and FWC investigated the attack. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s office provided the FWC with aerial support while the wildlife commission searched for the gator, WPEC reported.
Gator Attacks Typically Unusual
The FWC said alligators usually don’t attack people and that fatalities from gator attacks are rare. In the last ten years, Florida has averaged just eight unprovoked alligator bites requiring medical attention per year, the commission said.
Further Reading:
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