St. Lucie County - Tuesday February 21, 2023: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirms that 85-year-old Gloria Serge was killed by an alligator at an elderly residential community in northern St. Lucie County Monday afternoon.
It happened around 2 p.m. in the Spanish Lakes Fairways, a 55-plus living community just east of I-95 in Fort Pierce.
According to the accident report released by FWC, "Ms. Serge was walking her small dog along the edge of the community retention pond behind her house when an approximate 10 foot alligator came out of the water after the dog. Ms. Serge was knocked over and the alligator pulled her into the water by her foot. Ms. Serge was pulled into deeper water and died as a result of the incident. The alligator was caught and euthanized."
The dog survived.
"Our prayers go out to the loved ones of the victim and the Spanish Lakes’ residents who knew the victim and witnessed the attack," said St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara in a statement posted on the Sheriff's Facebook page.
Anyone concerned about the presence of alligators in their area should call FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).