An 85-year-old woman was killed by a 10-foot alligator in Fort Pierce, Florida, wildlife officials said Monday. Authorities said the woman was walking her dog at the Spanish Lakes Fairways retirement community at the time of the attack.
Neighbors told CBS News that the alligator suddenly emerged from the water and dragged the woman.
“The victim was rescued and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper captured the alligator involved,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement.
Video and photos showed at least six people fighting the large gator at times before it was loaded into the back of a pickup truck.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office
Neighbors told the CBS affiliate WPEC-TV The Gators aren’t an uncommon sight in the area, but they’ve never seen an offense like Monday’s.
The victim was not immediately identified.
The woman’s dog survived the attack, FWC said.
Several roads in the area were closed while police and the FWC investigated the attack. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office provided aerial support to the FWC while the Wildlife Commission searched for the gator, WPEC reported.
The FWC said alligators do not typically attack people, and fatalities from gator attacks are rare. Over the past 10 years, an average of 8 alligator bites required medical attention per year in Florida, according to the commission.
Lilia Luciano contributed reporting.
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