NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — A woman’s walk with her dog turned terrifying when a seven-foot alligator came out of a pond and attacked her, sending her to the hospital.
Fox 4’s North Fort Myers Community Correspondent Austin Schargorodski went to Julia Mobile Home and RV Park where it happened.
Watch new body camera video and see how neighbors are reacting:
Body-cam video from Lee County deputies showed them speaking to a witness on Thursday evening, right after the 84-year-old woman got attacked.
“I heard somebody screaming and screaming, so I went to the sliding glass door and saw her crawling out, and she’s waving her hands like this,” said the witness, waving her hands above her head.
A spokesperson with Florida Fish and Wildlife said Lee County EMS rushed the woman to the hospital to have her injuries treated.
Then, FWC said a contracted alligator trapper from their Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) captured and removed the 7-foot 3-inch alligator from the pond.
“The goal of SNAP is to proactively address alligator threats in developed areas while conserving alligators in areas where they naturally occur,” said Tyson Matthews, FWC Division of Law Enforcement Public Information Officer.
You could see signs around the pond that warn of alligators, and a neighbor sent Fox 4 a photo of a huge one lingering right on the water’s edge. It’s something Jeanette Legates thinks about often when walking her poodle, Maybeline.
“If I see a gator I go the other way,” said Legates. "I make sure to watch the lake the whole time when we’re near it."
FWC said while alligator attacks like this are rare, they recommend keeping pets on leashes and away from the water's edge. They also warn never to feed alligators as it can make them associate people with food.
“It’s a shame, but it happens - just hopefully the woman’s okay,” said Legates.
