Wildlife officials investigate woman's death in 'alligator bite incident' at golf community

Corey Arwood, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read

ST. LUCIE COUNTY − An 85-year-old woman died following an alligator bite, when the gator grabbed her while she was walking her dog near a pond at a golf course community Monday, wildlife officials said.

Firefighters recovered her body from Spanish Lakes Fairways off Interstate 95 in northwest St. Lucie County Monday afternoon, emergency officials said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office deputies were sent to the 6700 block of Picante Circle for what they called an "alligator bite incident" following 911 calls.

Satellite imagery of Spanish Lakes Fairways where a 85-year-old woman died in an reported alligator bite incident while walking a dog at the age-restricted golf course community, wildlife officials said.
Satellite imagery of Spanish Lakes Fairways where a 85-year-old woman died in an reported alligator bite incident while walking a dog at the age-restricted golf course community, wildlife officials said.

The woman was killed in an incident involving an alligator based on preliminary information from those who said they witnessed the event, said FWC spokesperson Arielle Callender.

"A contracted nuisance alligator trapper has captured the alligator involved in the incident," she said. "The dog did survive the incident."

St. Lucie County Fire District spokesperson Brenda Stokes said fire rescue workers were sent to Picante Circle at 12:07 p.m. to recover a body.

Deputies were first to arrive, but only assisted wildlife authorities who were leading an investigation into the death, said St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Tonya Woodworth.

Woodworth deferred all comments to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

None of the agencies identified the woman.

At 2 p.m. St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office announced on social media road closures in the Spanish Lakes Fairways area for the ongoing FWC investigation.

Spanish Lakes Fairways on its website boasts a dog park, an 18-hole golf course along with shuffleboard, pickleball and tennis courts on its 435 acres and six bodies of water.

There are multiple Spanish Lakes housing developments across the Treasure Coast. No one from the housing development could be reached by phone for comment Monday.

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Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreyarwood, or reach him by phone at 772-978-2246.

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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: FWC officials investigate woman's death alligator bite at Spanish Lakes Fairways in St. Lucie County