84-year-old woman and her dog survive alligator attack in Florida

An 84-year-old woman, a resident of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, and her dog managed to survive an alligator attack last Thursday night while taking their usual walk near their home in Julia Mobile Home Park.

Del Boppel told NBC-2 that she got closer than usual to a nearby pond when she noticed some eyes watching her from the water and, in an instant, she knew she was in danger.

After launching his dog named Queen through the air to get it away from the crocodile, he recounted that the reptile approached like “a torpedo. I have never seen anything move so fast in my life. I didn’t have time to think.”

The alligator, approximately 7 feet (2.13 meters) long, quickly lunged at Boppel, and in a desperate act, she managed to strike the animal in the face, although it managed to bite her, injuring her leg and hands before fleeing.

However, despite the injuries, Boppel considers herself fortunate to have been able to save herself and her dog, she told NBC-2.

Boppel mentioned that he has repeatedly filed several complaints about the presence of large alligators in his community, without receiving any response from the local authorities.

Despite the situation, she remains optimistic, stating that once she recovers, she will be able to go home to be with her dog, Queen, NBC-2 reported.

According to a report by CNN, serious injuries related to alligators are rare in Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission noted that between 2004 and 2022, the state recorded nearly 190 alligator attacks, 12 of which were fatal.

In March, a 68-year-old man was bitten by a crocodile after his boat capsized and he fell into the water at a marina in Everglades National Park, Florida.

The reptile attack occurred at approximately 4:43 PM at Flamingo Marina, in the Everglades, and caused the man a laceration on one leg, for which he had to receive medical attention immediately, the National Park Service (NPS) reported in a statement.

The American crocodile is a federally threatened species and closely resembles the American alligator. Crocodiles have narrower, triangular heads and often prefer coastal, brackish, and saltwater; while alligators are darker, have broader snouts, and are generally found in freshwater.