The horrifying moment a pensioner was dragged to her death by an alligator has been captured on camera.
Gloria Serge, 85, was walking her dog in the gated community of Spanish Lakes Fairways, Florida, when she was mauled to death by a 10ft alligator. The huge reptile initially went for Gloria’s beloved dog Trooper before dragging the pensioner into the water and killing her.
The horrendous attack was caught on camera, with footage showing Gloria’s last moments before she died. In the video, the alligator can be seen lurking in the water before it starts to slowly move towards Gloria and Trooper.
As Gloria and Trooper stand dangerously close to the water’s edge, the alligator throws itself towards the dog, who manages to evade the reptile’s wide jaws. Instead, the alligator attacks Gloria and eventually pulls her into the water.
Frightened neighbour Carole Thomas witnessed the attack and attempted to save Gloria. Carole desperately phoned 911 and said: “There’s a woman in the lake. The alligator’s got her! I think she’s gone, oh my God.”
Carole tried to find a pole to pull her to land but it was tragically too late. She added: “There is no way I could have gotten to her sooner. It’s horrible for her family. It’s just horrible, horrible. And her friends, I spoke to a couple of her friends yesterday who are devastated.”
Gloria Serge, 85, was walking her dog in the gated community of Spanish Lakes Fairways, Florida when she was mauled to death by a 10ft alligator. The huge reptile initially went for Gloria’s beloved dog Trooper before dragging the pensioner into the water and killing her.
Following the tragedy the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission cleared the lake of the alligators with Henry, the reptile who killed Gloria, removed and killed by wildlife officials. Jay Mandelker, president of Spanish Lakes Fairways, confirmed the alligators have since been removed.
He told TCPalm: “They did so to allay any concerns and to make us realise the precautions we should take with regard to wildlife, alligators in particular. If you’re walking by a lake, a pond, anywhere in Florida, understand, this is Florida, there could be alligators, so do not walk against the edges of any pond or lake, stay a safe distance away.”
Gloria’s body was later recovered from the lake while her dog, Trooper, survived the attack. Wildlife experts found the alligator who attacked Gloria at the bottom of the lake and dragged it out of the water. It was tackled to the ground by six people before being loaded into the boot of a car and euthanised.
Sheriff Ken Mascara said at the time: “We arrived on scene within minutes and recovered her body, kept surveillance on the alligator with our helicopter and personnel around the lake, and assisted the FWC trapper with identifying the alligator and dragging it out of water. Our prayers go out to the loved ones of the victim and the Spanish Lakes residents who knew victim and witnessed the attack.”
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This article by Sam Truelove was first published by The Mirror on 21 November 2023. Lead Image: Florida Fish and Wildlife investigators responding to a deadly alligator attack. (Image: St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office).
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