ENGLEWOOD, Fla. — An elderly woman died Friday evening after falling into a pond at Boca Royale Golf and Country Club.
Officials confirmed Monday the woman was 80-year-old Rose Marie Wiegand.
According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, people witnessed Wiegand struggling to stay afloat after falling in the water just before 8 p.m. Friday. Witnesses also saw two alligators who were swimming in the water grab the woman.
Authorities pronounced the woman dead on the scene.
Meanwhile, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission caught and removed the alligators from the pond to further investigate. The FWC released the following statement Saturday morning:
At approximately 8:15 p.m. on July 15, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) received a call regarding a body found in a small pond in Englewood, Sarasota County. The body was confirmed to be a deceased adult female. Two alligators were observed nearby and it is unknown at this time if the alligators were involved in this incident. A contracted nuisance alligator trapper was dispatched to the location and has removed two alligators from the area, one was 8’ 10” and the other was 7’ 7”. We do not plan to remove any additional alligators from the area at this time.
The FWC and Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office will be working jointly on this investigation until cause of death is determined by the Sarasota County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the deceased during this difficult time.
SCSO says detectives are working with FWC investigators and the Medical Examiner’s Office to further the investigation.
