THE family of a grandma who was dragged to her death by a 10ft alligator are suing the retirement village where she lived.
Gloria Serge, 85, was killed by the gator as she tried to save her dog from its jaws in February 2023.
APBill Serge stands next to a photo of his late mother as he filed a lawsuit against the retirement community on Thursday[/caption]
Business InsiderGloria Serge, 85, was mauled and dragged by the alligator to her death[/caption]
www.landandcruisevacations.comThe grandma tried to save her pup from the jaws of the animal seconds before the tragedy[/caption]
AFPThe gator was subsequently captured and euthanized[/caption]
The elderly woman was walking her dog through Spanish Lakes Fairways – a 55-plus community in Fort Pierce, Florida- when the disaster struck.
In a heart-stopping footage, the grandmother can be seen taking in the beauty of the lake with her pup as the gator lurked nearby ready to strike.
Neighbour Carole Thomas, 76, called 911 and watched in horror as the beast leapt out of the water and grabbed Gloria’s dog, before she began to fight back.
The pup has survived the attack, but sadly the woman was dragged into the lake and passed away.
Following the tragic incident, the alligator – named Henry by other residents – was captured and euthanized.
The family is now seeking justice and has filed a lawsuit against the Wynne Building Corp – a company that developed and manages the retirement community.
Gloria’s son, Bill Serge, blames the corporation for the death of his beloved mother, claiming they knew that the creature lived on the property.
He said: “I never could have imagined the agonizing way that my mother spent the last moments of her life.”
He claims that the staff and residents fed the fierce creature and even gave it a pet name – Henry.
According to the suit, the corporation failed to warn the community against the animal.
Attorney Gary Lesser said the company was aware of dangerous alligators in the waters behind the woman’s home and took no actions.
“The presence of large alligators in the lakes on the property was well known to the property manager, and this gator was no exception,” said attorneys representing Serge’s family in a statement.
“In fact, evidence obtained by our firm will show that maintenance workers in the community routinely fed this alligator chicken scraps and even named the dangerous reptile ‘Henry.’”
Attorney claimed that there are still no warning signs in the neighbourhood, and there was no notice of alligators in the area sent to the residents in the weekly newsletters.
The lawyers also assert that Spanish Lakes Fairways encouraged social interaction among neighbours by the retention pond where they could fish and walk their dogs.
Lesser added: “Spanish Lakes is one of these communities that has a rule – you can’t walk your dog in the streets of your community.
“In fact, Gloria was given a violation and eviction warning for walking her small dog in the front yard of her house.”
According to the complaint, the family is seeking $50,000 in damages and a jury trial.
Bill believes his mother’s death could have been prevented if the company took steps to remove the animal sooner.
The son said: “No child should have to bury their mom under such horrible circumstances.
“This was a tragedy that was 100% preventable, so I stand here today on behalf of my mom to share her story in the hope that this will never happen again.”
Facebook/gloria.serge.773Gloria’s pup, Trooper, was being walked when the gator attacked but survived[/caption]
AFPIt took six people to catch the animal and load it into the pickup truck[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
