74-Year-Old Woman Saves Pet Dog From An Aligator in Florida

Boca Raton, FL:  Suzan Marciano took a break from walking her dog Nalu beside a lake at Burt Aaronson Park, west of Boca Raton. She released her dog Nalu from the leash to rest her feet, but the dog ran towards the ocean for a quick dive. 

Marciano always played catch with Nalu with a stick before taking her up to the lake’s edge to get her feet wet. The lake was clear and shallow from where she stood. However, she noticed a dark shadow advancing towards the dog. As she looked closely she got terrified of what she saw. It was a 6-feet long alligator. 

Marciano admitted that she didn’t think before jumping into the water and slamming her body against the alligator. She startled the alligator when it released her dog and turned around to bite her hand. 

She and Nalu dashed out of the water and onto the lake’s trail. She had blood spilling from a punctured hole in the center of her palm from the bite as she walked back to her car.

She said that she didn’t even think about going to the doctor. She just wanted to get back home. She called her friend who convinced her to visit the hospital and get a tetanus injection as well as an examination of her injury.

After soaking her hand in a tub of iodine, she was rushed to a nearby urgent care center, where she received five stitches. Her dog was also taken to an animal emergency clinic for treatment.

Nalu was two hours in surgery due to puncture wounds in the stomach and thigh. After the wounds were cleaned, she was stitched up. Marciano says that Nalu has become quieter and more exhausted than usual after the attack. She says that the park was an interesting area to walk the dog, but it took them a few weeks to return.

According to the incident report, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officer and a park ranger searched the area but were unable to pinpoint the location of the attack. According to the report, neither of them saw any alligators in the lake.  

Source: Newsweek