[firewalkerb3]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

Southeastern Outdoors - Fatal Alligator Attacks


I had posted on another link several times about how naïve we were when we lived in Satellite Beach Florida for one year, in our mid twenties (1970’s)


Totally unprepared to deal with not only alligators lurking in ponds/lakes or for those dangerous ant hills while walking our 2 year old and 5 year old on the paths.


Obviously we made it out alive; only seeing one HUGE GIANT SNAKE removed from the canal on which our rental home was on. Like “Out of Africa” huge.

Ditto for the late 1980’s while vacationing each April on Sanibel Island, Florida which has the Ding Darling Nature Preserve and does have alligators all over the place.......
....a fact that the home owners and condo owners/ business owners make lightly of, so as not to scare away prospective tourists. Great seashells though.

We even subscribed to the local Sanibel paper prior to visiting......which obviously kept it pretty hush hush.

Of course, when checking in, I’d ask about the alligator “thing”. They’d laugh and make lightly of it.........or outright deny it.

There have been quite a few alligator attacks on Sanibel if you click above hyperlink...........including a lady doing landscaping in the backyard.

Most of her arm had to be removed from a massive infection from the alligator bite..........she ultimately died. It happens.

Obviously, many victims of alligator attacks do survive and live to tell about it. The above hyperlink covers some of the fatalities.

Alligators are hunted and removed for a reason. Even the smaller ones can grow in size........I would imagine. Who knows what is lurking beneath??

Through our own lack of knowledge, our two year old and five year old could have been a tasty morsel for an alligator............as we waded into ponds and lakes, unsuspectingly.....as I've written previously.

I believe newspapers should print the truth and the facts.

I’ve heard that the state of Florida really doesn’t want tourists to know about these things...........so as not to discourage tourism.

Those who do know, shouldn't put their heads in the sand.

God forbid. Hopefully, it never happens, but it's smart to be "aware" of potential danger.......I still say that man is a hero.

I can't believe the negative response to his story that was printed in the Orlando Sentinel. I'm sure they checked it out.

How did he get the wounds on his hand and leg as shown in the photos they took? So many doubting Thomases.

Senior Citizen thanks, my wife and I had a Condo for years on Sanibel Island, Caribe. Wish we still had it, I could use a vacation. The attack on the woman was 1 week before we were there. In my career (not as an alligator trapper) I was on 3 attacks 2 were fatal. 1 was a 67 year old woman living in Continental Country Club Sumter County, the other was a 10 year old boy at dead river in Leesburg, the last was a 10 month old baby that the mother had put a life jacket on and lowered his feet into lake Deaton, the gator bit is foot and pulled him from his mother’s arms, that mother (98 lbs soaking wet) beat a 8 + foot gator off her child, he suffered some deep lacerations and cut to his foot. To live with or without alligators debate has been around for some time and not going any were soon. Common senses will go a long ways, back by educating one’s self with research, as you did. The internet is loaded with information; the State of Florida web page offers a lot of information. Stay safe

[paulandjean]

I have not picked up the villages sun,is there a story about this in todays paper. Love to see the suns take on this.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by paulandjean

I have not picked up the villages sun,is there a story about this in todays paper. Love to see the suns take on this.

I did not see anything in Friday's Villages Daily Sun.

[paulandjean]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

I did not see anything in Friday's Villages Daily Sun.

They must be waiting for "firewalkerb3" report. he said yesterday he would turn over to the village sun.

[gomoho]

Met the therapy dog group at Mission Oaks today and a few people said it was in yesterday's paper. I didn't see it and neither did the Mr. and he reads everything.

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by samhass

Isn't it curious that national news has covered this but the Daily Sun has been mum?

The ABC affiliate in Chicago, WLS, had the story on their 6:00 pm local newscast 3 nights ago.

[paulandjean]

I have not picked up my village sun newpaper this morning.Anybody know if the story is in todays edition? Want to read their take on this.Thanks.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by firewalkerb3

Senior Citizen thanks, my wife and I had a Condo for years on Sanibel Island, Caribe. Wish we still had it, I could use a vacation. The attack on the woman was 1 week before we were there. In my career (not as an alligator trapper) I was on 3 attacks 2 were fatal. 1 was a 67 year old woman living in Continental Country Club Sumter County, the other was a 10 year old boy at dead river in Leesburg, the last was a 10 month old baby that the mother had put a life jacket on and lowered his feet into lake Deaton, the gator bit is foot and pulled him from his mother’s arms, that mother (98 lbs soaking wet) beat a 8 + foot gator off her child, he suffered some deep lacerations and cut to his foot. To live with or without alligators debate has been around for some time and not going any were soon. Common senses will go a long ways, back by educating one’s self with research, as you did. The internet is loaded with information; the State of Florida web page offers a lot of information. Stay safe

WOW. We have not returned to Sanibel Island in many moons, however, we did go there every April or May after our kids outgrew Disney World. After the "cottage" incident where we had to walk through very high grass on a path that led to the Gulf of Mexico beach, and after I really KNEW that there could be alligators lurking in those tall grasses as we saw them with our own eyes in the tall grasses off the beach..........we started renting at the "HIGH TIDE" directly on the beach and Gulf of Mexico. So, no weeds to walk through....no swampy land to cross.

Sanibel was nice and peaceful. Our kids liked canoeing with their dad at the Ding Darling Preserve.

We also liked driving down to Captiva, a skinny barrier island next to Sanibel. The Bubble Room was a great place for lunch. Quirky but great food, at that time, and huge desserts.....like their coconut cake. We'd really go for the Key Lime Pie.

The High Tide was owned by a lady from Cincinnati and it was still fairly new at that time.........anyway, all good memories........

Oh, one funny story........we had our teenaged kids in the back seat and Dad decided to explore the inner part of the barrier island of Sanibel.
We ended up in this "rural" area..........and couldn't find our way out.
An elderly man with a fishing pole was walking down the dirt road.
Hubby asked him, "Could you please direct us how to get out of here?"

"Same way you got in".....and he kept on walking.

Reminded us of the old Vermont natives......that's about what they would say.

I'm sure he didn't approve of the modernization that the causeway brought to his island........and all the condos replacing the old cottages.

[Josie70]

I am reading all of theses posts and I just don't understand some of you....I know you all love your pets but to jump in the water and tangle with a gator does not make sense to me I wouldn do it,No matter how much I loved my dog..I would keep my eye on him when we were in the yard or just keep him in the house if I was doing something and couldnt watch him or her thats what we did when our children were babies ...Now don't attack me because I will bite.....

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Josie70

I am reading all of theses posts and I just don't understand some of you....I know you all love your pets but to jump in the water and tangle with a gator does not make sense to me. I wouldn do it ..........Now don't attack me because I will bite.....

Don't worry Josie, no-one wants to attack you for expressing an opinion. Diverse opinions make TOTV an interesting website.

I personally think that Steve is incredibly brave! He was expressing the purest form of love. But I understand others may feel he was negligent. Accidents happen to the best of us. In my humble opinion, it is how we handle the adversities in life that makes us special.

[paulandjean]

Anyone,has the Village Sun newspaper have a article in todays paper,have been out of service for a few days.

[graciegirl]

Wow. There are two of you posters who like to point out the little faults of our wonderful The Daily Sun. I like it a lot.

I have to guess this is really about another subject we aren't allowed to discuss.

One time someone was complaining about the Sun not publishing an article about a rumored "home invasion" where a person was cut. When I called to ask about it, the folks at the Sun said it was about a suicide attempt and the rumors had gone viral when the person was taken bleeding from their home. The Sun doesn't publish things about suicides.

I don't know why they didn't publish the story about the man saving his dog. It could well be to discourage people from taking on alligators. I can't think of any other reason or any other conspiracy theory.

Help me out here, Paul and Jean. Why do you think they didn't publish it?

[paulandjean]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Wow. There are two of you posters who like to point out the little faults of our wonderful The Daily Sun. I like it a lot.

I have to guess this is really about another subject we aren't allowed to discuss.

One time someone was complaining about the Sun not publishing an article about a rumored "home invasion" where a person was cut. When I called to ask about it, the folks at the Sun said it was about a suicide attempt and the rumors had gone viral when the person was taken bleeding from their home. The Sun doesn't publish things about suicides.

I don't know why they didn't publish the story about the man saving his dog. It could well be to discourage people from taking on alligators. I can't think of any other reason or any other conspiracy theory.

Help me out here, Paul and Jean. Why do you think they didn't publish it?

He is my take on the doggie caper. Still think something is not adding up on this story.I have 5 or 6 questions,and thought the newspaper article would clear this up. Guess I maybe wrong. Hoping for a witness account for what happened. Will have more later. Have to go.

[Patty55]

Originally Posted by paulandjean

He is my take on the doggie caper. Still think something is not adding up on this story.I have 5 or 6 questions,and thought the newspaper article would clear this up. Guess I maybe wrong. Hoping for a witness account for what happened. Will have more later. Have to go.

I would love to hear the questions.

[Patty55]

What should we do if confronted with a gator? I know the thing to do is avoid confrontaion, but as in the case of Bounce and Steve, sometimes that's not possible.

How abount pepper spray? Would that back them off or aggravate the situation?

You wrote about a mother beating one off her baby, when confronted with aggressive behavior on the part of the victim do they tend to back off?

What is the most effective way to react?