WATCH: Florida alligator attack video goes viral in wake of Gloria Serge's death

Following the death of Gloria Serge on February 20, 2023, a video acquired by Inside Edition went viral on social media.

In the video, Gloria Serge can be seen standing near the lake as an alligator slowly approaches her. While she is walking away with her dog, the alligator leaps out of the water, trying to attack her dog.

While Serge managed to save her dog, she fell victim to the alligator attack.

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The incident happened in front of Gloria Serge's neighbor, Carole Thomas, who immediately called the authorities for help. Carole told the 911 dispatcher that Serge was dragged away inside the lake, and while she was nowhere to be seen for some time, her body emerged on top of the water moments later:

"I think she's gone, oh my God."

Carole mentioned that she tried to save Serge with a pole, but it was too late. She stated:

"It's horrible for her family. It's just horrible, horrible. And her friends, I spoke to a couple of her friends yesterday who are devastated."

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The alligator was euthanized after the incident

The crocodile who attacked Gloria Serge was captured by the authorities (Image via felipecist7/Twitter)

Gloria Serge was 85 years old at the time of death, and the alligator that attacked her was around 11 feet long. The incident happened in the Spanish Lakes Fairways in St. Lucie County, Florida when Gloria took her dog for a walk.

When authorities received a call about the incident, alligator trapper Robert Lilly was immediately sent to the spot but attempts to bring the animal to the surface failed. In an interview with WPTV5, Lilly said:

"It was definitely a fight. [We] snagged him on the bottom. He never surfaced. He stayed down the whole time. We were able to get a second hook in him and a hard line in him so we could get him up."

The authorities eventually captured the alligator, and it was euthanized. Wildlife officials were also available at the location and helped put the animal in the back of a pickup truck.

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee (FWC) revealed that alligator incidents are not so common in Florida and that public safety has always been their priority.

For this reason, they have also launched a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) to respond to complaints related to alligator attacks. The statement added:

"People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). When someone concerned about an alligator calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, we will dispatch one of our contracted nuisance alligator trappers to resolve the solution."

According to neighbors, Gloria was a widow, and her family members included five children and seven grandchildren.