'Gloria was down:' Neighbor tried to save woman killed by alligator

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — We're learning more details about the deadly alligator attack near Fort Pierce on Monday.

A neighbor saw the incident and tried to help the victim at Spanish Lakes Fairways, a 55 and over community where the attack happened.

A neighbor tried to save her but unfortunately, the woman was pulled under water by the gator and did not survive.

"I heard something and I looked and Gloria was down, the dog was running up the hill and I saw the alligator come out and grab her leg," said Carol Thomas, a resident at Spanish Lakes Fairways.

Carol Thomas, a retiree lives beside the lake where her neighbor, Gloria Serge, 85, was killed by an alligator.

Thomas says she was in her bedroom about 12 p.m., and she looked out the window and then she ran outside when she heard the commotion and saw Gloria in the lake.

"She came up for air, and she pushed her hair back you know, out of her eyes and her arm was out and I said Gloria swim toward the paddle boat! We have one overturned in the lake 'cause I figured if she could get there I could shove it out, she could grab it. She said I can't. The gator has me!" Thomas said.

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Thomas says she grabbed a long wrought iron pole that is used to hang outdoor plants.

"I thought that's very long. If I can get it out to her hand or if I see him (the alligator) maybe I can distract him, hit his nose, something and when I came back she was no longer visible," Thomas explained.

Thomas says Gloria did not come up for air again and she feels the alligator must've dragged her body to the bottom of the lake.

"There's nothing you can do. Just kind of haunted by that, you know, I don't know what else I could've done," Thomas said.

Florida Fish and Wildlife says the victim — Gloria Serge — was out walking her dog along the lake on Monday when the 10-foot long alligator came out of the water to get her dog. The gator knocked Serge over and pulled her into the water by her foot.

"That was just a terrible, horrible experience, you know and I know her family, my feelings are probably miniscule to what their family is feeling and her friends," Thomas said.

A gator expert at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter says you should stay at least 15 to 20 feet away from a gator if you see one.

"Do not feed them, do not mess with them, do not try to befriend them. Let them live their life, you do yours and you shouldn't run into any problems," said Amy Kight, Executive Director of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary.

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One of the victim's neighbors says the gator attack is frightening.

"I think it's terrifying. I was shaking last night. There's alligators in every lake and I think they should really do something," said Katrina Meiners, a resident of Spanish Lakes Fairways who lives near the victim's home.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, it's up to residents to watch for alligators and if they are concerned that one poses a danger they can call FWC and they will send out a nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation. The FWC Nuisance Alligator Hotline is 866-392-4286.

FWC does not have anyone monitoring lakes at residential areas for alligators.

The victim's dog survived. Thomas, the victim's neighbor, says the dog, a Shih Tzu, was not bleeding and did not appear to be hurt. FWC says the alligator was caught and euthanized.

Neighbors say Serge was a widow who had five adult children and several grandkids. A man at Serge's home, whom we believe is one of Serge's relatives, said they had no comment.