The family of an 85-year-old woman who died after an alligator attacked her last year is suing the community. Gloria Serge died in February 2023 while walking her small dog. Hence, the family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the real estate company that owns the community.
The 85-year-old woman was walking the dog near the lake outside her home in Spanish Lakes Fairways, Florida. According to surveillance footage, a 10-foot alligator attempted to take Serge’s dog. Due to the impact, she tripped over. Then, the alligator grabbed her by the foot and dragged her into the pond, ultimately killing her.
Following the tragic incident, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission caught and euthanized the alligator. The footage also includes portions of a distressed 911 call that Serge’s neighbor placed. According to reports, Serge’s neighbor saw the alligator pull the 85-year-old into the water.
After capturing the alligator, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed they recovered Serge’s remains. Afterward, Serge’s son, William Serge, filed a lawsuit against the retirement community. “One year ago, I received a phone call that every son dreads,” William Serge said at a news conference.
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“I never could have imagined the agonizing way that my mother spent the last moments of her life.” According to the lawsuit, Serge’s family is seeking at least $50,000 in damages from Wynne Building Corporation, which owns the community.
The family also demands a jury trial. In addition, the lawsuit holds the corporation responsible for the deadly alligator attack. It claims that Wynne Building Corporation knew the creature lived on the property or should have known. However, the corporation did not alert residents or take steps to remove the animal.
“The property managers know about the presence of large alligators in the lakes on the property,” Serge’s family’s attorneys said. “And this gator was no exception.” Also, the attorneys alleged that the community’s maintenance workers were familiar with the alligator.
Serge’s family attorneys claimed they obtained evidence that maintenance workers in the community routinely fed the alligator chicken scraps. In addition, the attorneys alleged that the community workers named the dangerous reptile “Henry.”
According to the complaint filed, Serge started walking her dog in her backyard after the property manager told her to. The manager told her she could only walk her dog on the property or the development-owned dog run. “The Defendant encouraged, if not forced, the Decedent (Serge) to walk her dog near a pond,” the complaint alleges.
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Following the complaint, Wynne Building Corporation president Joel Wynne issued a statement. “We certainly understand the tragedy and the feelings of Mrs. Serge’s family,” he said. “However, we developed Spanish Lakes Fairways 37 years ago. We have approximately 3,000 residents.”
Furthermore, Wynne noted that the tragic incident was the first in the community. “This is the first time an alligator attacked a resident,” he said. However, in his statement, Wynne hinted that Serge knew of the alligators. “Mrs. Serge was a longtime resident and certainly knew of the presence of alligators,” he said.
Although Florida has more than an estimated 1.25 million alligators, attacks by the reptiles are rare. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 442 unprovoked bite attacks occurred from 1948 to 2021. However, only 26 of the bites resulted in death.
“No child should have to bury their mom under such horrible circumstances,” Serge’s son said during an interview. In addition, he said they are suing because they do not want other families to experience the same pain.
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