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'It was definitely a fight': Florida woman, 85, dragged into water and killed by 10-foot alligator while walking dog

A nuisance alligator trapper was summoned to the location and successfully captured the alligator involved in the incident

ST LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA: An alligator assault is being looked into after a 10-foot predator in northern St Lucie County, Florida reportedly killed an elderly woman. On Monday, February 20, the horrifying attack took place at Spanish Lakes Fairways, a neighborhood in Fort Pierce, Florida, which is located about 68 miles north of West Palm Beach, as per reports.

The St Lucie County Sheriff's office, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) arrived on the site after the witnesses dialed 911 and reported the event, according to WPTV. Locals in the neighborhood claimed they last saw the woman walking her dog near to where the creature was hiding. The woman's name has not been made public, but it is reported that she is 85 years old. Witnesses claimed that the alligator first attacked the dog before things got out of hand when the woman engaged the wild animal in a bloody struggle for her pet before giving up. The dog survived the attack.

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'It was definitely a fight'

CBS12 reported that the woman's body was discovered after the assault. The county sheriff, Ken Mascara, claimed that the alligator was over 11 feet long when fully matured. Almost two hours after the initial 911 call, a nuisance alligator trapper was summoned to the location and successfully captured the alligator involved in the incident.

Robert Lilly, a nuisance alligator trapper, stated, "It was definitely a fight. [We] snagged him on the bottom. He never surfaced. He stayed down the whole time. We were able to get a second hook in him and a hard line in him so we could get him up." Lilly claimed that the beast weighs between 600 and 700 pounds.

What happened as a result of the incident?

The St Lucie County Sheriff's Office closed three nearby roads while it looked into the violent incident. Wildlife authorities confirmed the 85-year-old's death, according to WPTV. The authorities claimed that serious alligator-related injuries are uncommon in Florida, according to WPBF.

The FWC stated, "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," according to WPBF. The residents in Florida are required to call 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286) if they see an alligator in a neighborhood.