Family of Florida grandmother killed by alligator sues retirement community: ‘This was a tragedy that was 100% preventable’
The family of a grandmother horrifically killed by an alligator lurking in a pond near her home has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her retirement community — claiming they took no action to protect residents from the 10-foot predator that was so well-known it was nicknamed Henry.
Gloria Serge, 85, was dragged to her death around the pond behind her Spanish Lakes Fairways home in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Feb. 20 while trying to protect her small dog from being attacked.
Surveillance footage captured the moment the gator crept up on the unsuspecting grandmother — who was then dragged underwater by the 10-foot, 700-pound beast and killed.
Her family filed a lawsuit Thursday morning, claiming Wynne Building Corp., the developer and manager of the retirement community, bears the blame for her death.
“One year ago, I received a phone call that every son dreads,” William Serge said during a news conference Thursday, according to WPEC. “I never could have imagined the agonizing way that my mother spent the last moments of her life.
“No child should have to bury their mom under such horrible circumstances.
“This was a tragedy that was 100% preventable, so I stand here today on behalf of my mom to share her story in the hope that this will never happen again,” the grieving son explained.
Serge’s family claims the Wynne Building Corporation knew the creature lived on the property and that no steps were taken to keep residents safe.
“In fact, 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,” Gary Lesser, the family’s attorney, said.
Lesser alleges that residents, and even staff at the community, regularly fed the predator, often seen laying out around the pond.
“Amazingly, Spanish Lakes actually posted no warnings about the existence of these dangerous alligators they knew about,” Lesser explained.
“There were no warnings to its residents in the weekly newsletters that Spanish Lakes sent to its residents.”
Community members claim only after Serge’s tragic death that warning signs were being constructed, according to the attorney.
“That’s a little too little, a little too late to save or bring back Gloria,” Lesser stated. “A recent visit to the property revealed no signs warning of the alligators had been placed yet.”
Lesser claims that Spanish Lakes Fairways “encouraged their residents to socialize by the retention pond” and “placed community benches on the shores of the water” despite allegedly knowing the gator was lurking around the community.
Even more heartbreaking are the allegations that Serge was “forced” to walk her pup around the pond and was even threatened with eviction due to the community’s strict rules.
“Gloria was forced to walk her dog behind the home, in the backyard, by the retention pond,” Lesser explained. “Spanish Lakes is one of these communities that has a rule – you can’t walk your dog in the streets of your community.”
“In fact, Gloria was given a violation and eviction warning for walking her small dog in the front yard of her house.”
Despite the property not having any warning signs for alligators, CBS12 News reported Friday that multiple signs were posted to inform community members they could not walk their dogs on the street.
The Serge family is seeking at least $50,000 in damages and plans to take the Wynne Building Corporation to a jury trial, WPEC reported.
Following last year’s attack, a trapper hired by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission captured and killed the gator.
Alligator trapper Robert Lilly, who was called to catch the predator, said, “It was definitely a fight.”
“[We] snagged him on the bottom. He never surfaced. He stayed down the whole time,” Lilly said.
“We were able to get a second hook in him and a hard line in him so we could get him up.”
