Gloria Serge has been identified as the woman who was killed by an alligator in St. Lucie County, Florida on Monday. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released the name, saying that the 85-year-old was walking her small dog along a pond behind her house in the Spanish Lakes Fairways community – at 14313 Aguila Ave – when the reptile attacked her.
FWC said that an alligator came out of the water and attempted to grab her dog. Sarge, defending her pet, could not get out of the way and the animal pulled her into the water by her foot. A woman called 911 and said she saw Serge was in trouble.
The alligator was estimated to be 10 feet long and weighed 600 to 700 pounds. Neighbors said Serge was a longtime resident of the community. She walked her Shih Tzu daily.
“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,” said Carol Thomas, a local resident at Spanish Lakes Fairways.
Carol Thomas is a retiree who lives beside the lake where her neighbor, Gloria Serge, 85, was killed by an alligator. Thomas said she was in her bedroom at about 12 pm, she looked out the window and then ran outside when she heard the disturbance and saw Gloria in the lake.
An alligator expert at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter said that one should stay at least 15 to 20 feet away from a gator upon seeing one.
“Do not feed them, do not mess with them, do not try to befriend them. Let them live their life, you do yours and you shouldn’t run into any problems,” said Amy Kight, Executive Director of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary.
