The family of a woman who was killed in an alligator attack after attempting to save her dog has taken legal action.
In February last year, 85-year-old Gloria Serge was taking her dog for a walk in the Spanish Lakes Fairways retirement community in Florida when her pet became the target of an alligator attack.
According to the Daily Mail, the 10-foot, 700-pound alligator emerged from the water, targeting the woman's canine companion. In a brave effort to save her pet, the elderly woman fought back, but the alligator redirected its aggression towards her, ultimately dragging her into the water.
Serge did not survive the attack, and her body was later recovered.
Miraculously, her dog survived the ordeal.
Authorities swiftly responded to the incident, locating and removing the alligator from the water.
Alligator trapper Robert Lilly, who works for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), recounted the challenging capture to WPBF, stating: "Snagged him [the alligator] on the bottom. He never surfaced. He stayed down the whole time. Got a second hook in him and then a hard line in him so we could get him up."
The alligator was securely bound using a rope, including measures to prevent it from opening its jaws.
This week, Serge's family, along with their legal representatives, initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against Wynne Building Corporation, the entity that owns and operates the Spanish Lakes retirement community where Serge lived.
During a press conference on Thursday, Serge's son, Bill, expressed the pain of his mother's final moments and insisted that her death "should have never happened."
"My mom, who was in her 85th year, who could not swim, was grabbed by a 10-foot, 700-pound alligator and dragged into the water where she drowned in the most violent and terrifying way possible," he stated, as reported by Local10.
"No child should have to bury their mom under such horrible circumstances. This was a tragedy that was 100% preventable," he continued, according to CBS12.
The family's attorney, Gary Lesser, held Spanish Lakes fully responsible for the incident, saying that it could have been avoided if the community had enforced rules on feeding wildlife.
"Residents and staff fed this alligator chicken and other food from their lunch on a regular basis," he claimed, noting that the alligator even had a name, Henry.
"The neighborhood named this particular alligator Henry, and they named it Henry because the alligator was seen so often on the shores of this retention pond," Lesser added.
Legal representatives also highlighted the absence of warning signs about alligators in the water, emphasizing the presence of benches along the bank.
They claimed Serge was "forced" to walk her dog along the water, citing an alleged community rule about pets.
"Gloria was forced to walk her dog behind the home, in the backyard, by the retention pond. Spanish Lakes is one of these communities that has a rule: you can't walk your dog in the streets of your community," Lesser said, revealing that Serge had received a violation and eviction warning for walking her small dog in the front yard of her house.
The family has not specified the amount of damages they are seeking, stating that they will leave that decision to a jury.
Wynne Building Corporation has not yet issued a comment on the lawsuit.
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