SAD

[ironkladd]

SANIBEL, Fla. - A woman mauled by a 12-foot alligator died in surgery Friday, WBBH-TV reported.



Janie Melsek, a landscaper, was attacked behind a home on Wednesday. The 54-year-old woman was dragged into a pond before a neighbor and police officers yanked her from the animal’s jaws.

Part of Melsek’s right arm had to be amputated. She also was severely bitten on her buttocks and thighs. She was undergoing additional surgery Friday morning at Lee Memorial Hospital when she died.

Melsek was trimming a tree when the alligator lunged at her and grabbed her arm. “The lady was in the pond and the alligator had hold of her and just her face was showing,” a neighbor, Jim Anholt, told The News-Press of Fort Myers.

“It was kind of a tug-of-war,” said Anholt, who held Melsek’s neck to keep her head above water as three Sanibel police officers tried to get her out of the pond.

Rescuers struggled for about five minutes to get her away from the alligator. When she came free, medical workers began treating her on the shore.

Police later shot the alligator in the head. It took six men to lift the 12-foot, 3-inch animal to shore.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[CC]

Did the woman know there was an Alligator in the pond?

[ironkladd]

they said people who lived in the area knew but since it had never bothered anyone no one told her about it.

[JuliusSqueezer]

Sanibel is a small island off the coast of Ft Meyers but it's linked by a really really long bridge. There are signs all over the island warning people that there are gators but I'm sure one popping up in someone's yard could still be somewhat surprising. They even hit the beaches every now and then. Attacks on humans are almost nonexistant they are so rare. It would be pretty freaky to be laying on a beach half asleep and hear footsteps shuffling through the sand...look over to see if it's by chance a hot chick and find yourself laying next to a 12 foot gator. Only thing I caught out there was a few stingrays and a small sea turtle...and a sunburn of course.

[Dragon]

#$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^& shame they killed the Gator. Must have been awful for all involved.

Paul

[NicoleRussell]

I wonder why the animal did that?

[CC]

My guess is either the gator had not had a meal in a while, or the gator felt threatened that she was in his territory. The whole thing sucks though. Human and herp life lost.

[irishsnakes]

i am certainly not in favor of killing anything unnecessarily, but if the gator was pulling the woman under the water why didnt the cops shoot the gator then?

[JuliusSqueezer]

I'm guessing fear of manslaughter charges if they missed and hit the lady?

[CornerStone]

Dragon,

“darn shame they killed the Gator.”

Unbelievable! Of course they killed the alligator! Any animal that kills another human being is dead meat, no questions asked. Any animal that seriously injures another human is dead meat – don’t relocate it, don’t search for a lame excuses to justify its action, don’t spend a second/penny on the worthless animal, kill it. There is no comparison to the value and life of a stupid animal compared to that of a human.

[keller346]

Originally Posted by CornerStone

Dragon,

“darn shame they killed the Gator.”

Unbelievable! Of course they killed the alligator! Any animal that kills another human being is dead meat, no questions asked. Any animal that seriously injures another human is dead meat – don’t relocate it, don’t search for a lame excuses to justify its action, don’t spend a second/penny on the worthless animal, kill it. There is no comparison to the value and life of a stupid animal compared to that of a human.

Yea but it is we who invaded it's area. If someone had invaded my area I would have done the same. The only reason they killed it is because it now had a taste of humans and it had to be killed even if it just bit her and drew blood and didn't kill her. Same is said for dogs. And as far a life value you wouldn't have said that if it was a murderer that escaped and got eaten. Besides that If everyone else knew there was a gator there then why did't they have signs saying so? Or even better called someone to come and get it?