Inside Edition/St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office
The woman's son said her death was "100% preventable," while a lawyer for the family claims she was "forced" to walk by the pond despite knowing the gator -- which neighbors named Henry -- was often on its banks.
Nearly one year after 85-year-old Gloria Serge was killed by an alligator while walking her dog inside her retirement community, her family announced they're suing the neighborhood.
Serge died in January 2023 while walking her beloved Shih Tzu along the pond behind behind her St. Lucie, Florida home, after a gator in the waters made a beeline toward them both. Video from Inside Edition shows the reptile lunge at them both, but cuts before the actual attack.
Serge reportedly attempted to rescue her dog, but the 700-pound, 10-foot long creature pulled her into the waters by her leg in the process, before killing her.
This week, her family and lawyers filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Wynne Building Corporation, which owns and operates the Spanish Lakes community where Serge lived. During a press conference on Thursday, the victim's son Bill said he "never could have imagined the agonizing way that my mother spent the last moments of her life," before saying her death "should have never happened."
"My mom, who was in her 85th year, who could not swim, was grabbed by a 10-foot, 700-pound alligator and dragged into the water where she drowned in the most violent and terrifying way possible," he said, according to Local10. "No child should have to bury their mom under such horrible circumstances. This was a tragedy that was 100% preventable," he continued, via CBS12.
St. Lucie County Sheriff
Alligator Kills 85-Year-Old Woman Protecting Dog In Florida
View Story"Spanish Lakes, the community where Gloria lived, is 100% responsible for this incident and this incident was 100% preventable," the family's attorney Gary Lesser also said, claiming the incident could have been avoided had the community enforced rules on feeding wildlife.
"Residents and staff fed this alligator chicken and other food from their lunch on a regular basis," he said, adding that the creature was so well known it even had a name, Henry.
"The neighborhood named this particular alligator Henry, and they named it Henry because the alligator was seen so often on the shores of this retention pond," he claimed.
St. Lucie County Sheriff
Attorneys also said there were no warning signs about gators in the water and pointed out how there are even benches along the bank. He also said Serge was "forced" to walk her dog along the water, citing an alleged community rule about pets.
"Gloria was forced to walk her dog behind the home, in the backyard, by the retention pond. Spanish Lakes is one of these communities that has a rule: you can't walk your dog in the streets of your community," he claimed -- adding that Gloria was previously "given a violation and eviction warning for walking her small dog in the front yard of her house."
CBS12 confirmed there were signs around the community saying residents couldn't walk dogs on the street.
"If Spanish Lakes had taken any, any measure of common sense, of reasonable action, Gloria would be here today with her five children, her fifteen grandchildren and her nine great grandchildren," said Lesser.
They have not specified the amount in damages they're seeking, saying they'll allow a jury to decide. Wynne Building Corporation has not yet commented on the suit.
