ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (WPTV) - The family of a Florida woman who was killed in an alligator attack while walking her dog in her retirement community believes the tragedy was 100% preventable.
Lawyers for 85-year-old Gloria Serge’s family say she didn’t feel comfortable walking her dog along the retention pond behind her Spanish Lakes Fairways home. That’s what she was doing on Feb. 20, 2023, when a 10-foot alligator grabbed her foot and dragged her into the water, where she drowned.
Attorney Gary Lesser says Gloria Serge preferred walking her dog along the streets nearby, but for that, she received an eviction warning. The closest place to walk her dog was almost a mile away.
“That left her with two choices. She can bring her dog to a dog walk area almost a mile away, which isn’t really feasible for an 85-year-old woman two to three times per day. Or she could walk her dog in the backyard of her home. Spanish Lakes made her be there,” Lesser said.
Gloria Serge’s family is suing the Wynne Building Corporation, which developed and manages the Spanish Lakes retirement community. The family alleges the company failed to take action to make the retention pond safe.
Among the claims in the lawsuit is that management knew there were dangerous alligators in the water behind Gloria Serge’s home and that they knew neighbors fed the alligators, making them more prone to attack.
The lawsuit also says the company could have called Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to remove the 700-pound alligator and other alligators later found in the pond. It also says the company should have posted warning signs.
“After the attack, during the investigation, they were asked about this, and they said signs were now being constructed. That’s a little too little, a little too late to save or bring back Gloria,” Lesser said.
Gloria Serge’s son, Bill Serge, says the family remains haunted, knowing the experience of his mother’s pain and fear as the alligator pulled her into the pond.
“The sudden and violent nature of this attack, thinking about my mom in her final moments, resulted in a whole different level of all-consuming grief,” he said.
He added the family is bringing the lawsuit because they don’t want others to experience what they did.
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