An 84-year-old Florida resident recounts her harrowing encounter with an alligator as she strolled her canine companion.
Lisa Bopp shared her experience with CNN affiliate WBBH, mentioning that she was walking her dog, Queen, around 9 pm near a pond in her North Fort Myers mobile home park on a Thursday night. She felt she was being watched and sensed something ominous was about to happen.
As Bopp recounts her story from her hospital bed, she referred to the event as a premonition, summarizing it as, "Uh-oh."
Her unease transformed into reality when a gigantic 7-foot, 3-inch alligator, as confirmed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, suddenly appeared.
The alligator approached Bopp and her Shih Tzu so quickly that she barely had time to react, according to WBBH.
"It was like a torpedo," Bopp explained to WBBH. "I haven't seen anything move that fast in my entire life."
In a desperate attempt to protect her pet, Bopp threw Queen into the air as the alligator charged at her, sinking its teeth into her legs and fingers.
A neighbor who made a 911 call shared with CNN affiliate WINK about hearing someone's screams from their window.
Recalling the incident, Bopp mentioned she managed to land a few punches on the alligator's face before it retreated.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, along with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Lee County Emergency Medical Services, attended the scene, trapping and removing the alligator.
Bopp was taken to the hospital for treatment, and as of Saturday, the state wildlife agency hadn't issued an update on her condition. Despite her injuries, Bopp expressed her optimism and desires to reunite with her dog.
Relatively infrequent incidents involving alligators causing severe injuries have been reported in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A tally of attacks between 2004 and 2022 revealed almost 190 incidents, 12 of which were fatal.
CNN previously revealed an instance in February 2023, where an alligator, 10 feet long, viciously attacked and killed an 85-year-old woman while she walked her dog in Fort Pierce, Florida, by clamping its jaws over her foot and dragging her into a nearby pond.
CNN contributed to this report by Brammhi Balarajan and Rebekah Riess.
In the midst of the ordeal, Bopp recounted her feelings towards the approaching alligator, saying, "I knew we were in trouble once we saw that massive creature coming towards us." And as she recovered in the hospital, Bopp expressed her gratitude towards the first responders, stating, "The team from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and Lee County Emergency Medical Services were incredible, they saved both me and Queen."
