An 84-year-old woman from North Fort Myers, Florida, narrowly escaped an alligator attack while walking her dog. The incident occurred on Thursday evening near a pond in her mobile home park.
The woman, identified as Boppel, was walking her Shih Tzu, Queen when she felt a sudden sense of danger. As she recalled, "All of a sudden, I had a premonition, I'm telling you," Boppel said from her hospital bed, according to CNN. “It was like, ‘uh-oh.'”
Her intuition was correct. A 7-foot, 3-inch alligator emerged from the water and lunged at her and her dog.
"It was like a torpedo. I didn't see anything go that fast in my life," Boppel told the media outlet.
Boppel managed to toss her dog to safety, but the alligator bit her legs and fingers.
A neighbour, alerted by Boppel's screams, called emergency services. The woman bravely fought off the alligator, punching it in the face until it retreated.
Wildlife officials responded to the scene and removed the alligator. Boppel was taken to a hospital for treatment and is expected to recover.
While alligator attacks are rare in Florida, this incident serves as a reminder of the importance of being cautious in areas where these reptiles are known to inhabit.
