Terrifying new footage of a fatal alligator attack on 85-year-old woman shows the beast silently stalked her and her dog for over 100ft before timing its strike.
Video shows the moment the alligator bursts from the water and lunges at the woman’s dog – who is aptly named Trooper.
The attack unfolded in front of a neighbor who frantically called 911 as she tried to help the woman.
Gloria Serge, 85, died after she was mauled to death by the 10-foot gator when she tried to rescue her beloved dog, Trooper, from the reptile’s clutches on Monday.
Serge’s pup survived the attacked, but the gator was later captured and euthanized.
Serge’s final moments were captured on a wildlife camera at the Spanish Lakes Fairways retirement community in Fort Pierce, Florida.
She can be seen walking along the lake with her dog when the alligator surfaces and then lurches at the pair.
Serge tried to get the dog away from the alligator’s jaws but the gator grabbed her instead and could be seen dragging her into the lake.
Her frightened neighbor Carole Thomas, 76, told Inside Edition that she tried to help the woman while on the phone with 911.
‘There’s a woman in the lake. The alligator’s got her!’
As the call unfolded, the neighbor became more distressed when she didn’t see the woman surface.
‘I think she’s gone, oh my God,’ Thomas cries into the phone.
Thomas said she fetched a pole to try and pull the woman to land, but said: ‘There is no way I could have gotten to her sooner.’
‘It’s horrible for her family,’ Thomas added. ‘It’s just horrible, horrible. And her friends, I spoke to a couple of her friends yesterday who are devastated.’
Her body was later recovered from the lake.
Local residents told Inside Edition the gator was a neighborhood fixture they called Henry. He was captured and euthanized after the mauling.
Florida authorities are warning residents about walking their pets near the ponds in lakes in the area.
Serge is the third victim to be killed by an alligator in Florida since last July.
Wildlife experts found the alligator at the bottom of the pond and dragged it out of the water, with one official seen sitting on top of the reptile.
Another elderly woman was killed by two alligators after falling into a pond near her home at the Boca Royale Golf and Country Club in Englewood in July 2022.
The woman, whose identity is not known, was struggling to stay afloat when two alligators were seen swimming toward her. They then grabbed her before she could escape and killed her.
In May 2022, 47-year-old Sean Thomas McGuinness’ body was found missing three limbs at the lake at the John S Taylor Park in Largo, Florida.
Investigators now believe he had gone into the 53-acre freshwater lake looking for UFOs when he was attacked. The park is home to an 18-hole disc golf course, with five holes adjacent to the lake, according to the Miami Herald.
Authorities noted that park management had reported ‘McGuinness was known to frequent the park and enter the lake with disregard to the posted ‘No swimming’ signs.
‘A witness also advised detectives that McGuinness was known to sell discs back to people within the park, and McGuinness was found within a few feet of a disc in the water.’
Florida has a population of 1.3 million alligators across its 67 counties, and they can be found in practically all fresh water bodies and occasionally in salt water.
But the number of cases of people being attacked by alligators in the state is small.
From 1948 to 2021, 442 unprovoked bite incidents have occurred in Florida, 26 of which resulted in human fatalities.
Over the past ten years, Florida has averaged eight unprovoked bites per year that are serious enough to require professional medical treatment, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says on its website.
‘The likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only one in 3.1million,’ it said.
Following yesterday’s attack, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said: ‘Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida.
‘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.
‘People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
‘When someone concerned about an alligator calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, we will dispatch one of our contracted nuisance alligator trappers to resolve the situation.’
SOURCE: dailymail.co.uk
