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Florida woman, 84, punches alligator in the face during grisly encounter: 'Like a torpedo'

By Andrea Vacchiano
Published  September 12, 2024 12:59pm EDT
Florida
FOX News

Florida woman, 84, punches alligator in the face

An 84-year-old woman in Florida saved her own life after punching an aggressive alligator in the face last week. North Fort Myers resident Dolores Boppel, 84, was taking her dog on a walk when the two encountered a gator on Thursday evening. Boppel had thrown her dog, a Shih Tzu, in the air as soon as the reptile began lunging at her. (Video Credit: Lee County Sheriff's Office)

LEE COUNTY, Fla. - An 84-year-old woman in Florida saved her own life after punching an aggressive alligator in the face last week.

North Fort Myers resident Dolores Boppel, 84, was taking her dog on a walk when the two encountered a gator on Thursday evening. Boppel had thrown her dog, a Shih Tzu, in the air as soon as the reptile began lunging at her. 

She told local outlet WBBH that she was bitten in her legs and fingers before she sucker-punched the alligator, causing it to retreat. The Lee County Sheriff's Office shared bodycam footage of the aftermath of the attack with Fox News Digital.

Another witness said that she heard Boppel screaming and ran over.

"I opened up the window to let the heat out, and I heard somebody screaming and screaming," the woman explained. "I ran, I went to the sliding glass door. I saw her here, and she was crawling out, and she's screaming, and she's waving her hands like this. That's all I saw. The gator is in my side yard all the time."

"I checked her dog," she added. "Her dog did have blood on it, but I think it's her blood."

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In the footage, Boppel was in good spirits and fully alert as medical professionals cared for her.

"Ma'am, God bless you," Boppel said to a paramedic. "The park's gonna pay for this son of a b----."

Boppel told WBBH that she was walking at a pond near her mobile home park when she suddenly felt uneasy.

"All of a sudden, I had a premonition, I'm telling you," the octogenarian said. "It was like, ‘Uh-oh’."

"It was like a torpedo," Boppel said of the alligator. "I didn’t see anything go that fast in my life."

The 84-year-old told WBBH that she was looking forward to reuniting with her dog Queen, who survived the ordeal, after leaving the hospital.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital, identifying the creature as a 7-foot, 3-inch alligator.

"The FWC, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and Lee County EMS all responded to the scene, and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper removed a 7’3" alligator," the FWC explained. "The victim was transported to the hospital to be treated for her injuries."

The agency added that it is rare for Florida alligators to seriously injure humans, and encourages Floridians to follow certain measures to avoid interactions with alligators, such as keeping pets away from water and only swimming in designated areas during daylight.

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