Prior to launching its attack, the creature surreptitiously trailed behind her and her canine companion for more than 100 feet, revealing horrifying recent footage of a lethal alligator assault on an elderly woman aged 85.

Video shows the moment the alligator bursts from the water and lunges at the woman’s dog – who is aptly named Trooper.

The assault occurred in the presence of a nearby resident who urgently dialed 911 while attempting to aid the lady.

On Monday, Gloria Serge, an 85-year-old woman, passed away when she attempted to save her cherished pet, Trooper, from the grip of the reptile and was fatally attacked by the 10-foot alligator.

Serge’s dog survived the assault, but the alligator was subsequently captured and put to sleep.

Serge’s last moments were recorded on a wildlife camera at the retirement community of Spanish Lakes Fairways in Fort Pierce, Florida.

She can be observed strolling by the lake with her canine when the alligator emerges and then lunges at the duo.

Serge attempted to retrieve the dog by grabbing the alligator’s jaws, but instead, he could only see her being dragged into the lake.

Her frightened neighbor Carole Thomas, 76, told Inside Edition that she tried to help the woman while on the phone with 911.

‘There is a lady in the lake. The alligator has captured her!’.

As the call progressed, the neighbor grew increasingly concerned when she didn’t spot the woman emerge.

‘I believe she has left, oh my God,’ Thomas exclaims into the telephone.

Thomas said that there is no way I could have gotten her sooner, but the woman said to fetch a pole and try to pull her to land.

Thomas remarked, ‘It’s dreadful for her family.’ ‘And her acquaintances, I conversed with a few of her acquaintances yesterday who are devastated,’ he expressed. ‘It’s simply dreadful, dreadful.’

Her corpse was subsequently retrieved from the body of water.

Local residents told Inside Edition the gator was a neighborhood fixture they called Henry. He was captured and euthanized after the mauling.

Florida officials are cautioning inhabitants about strolling their pets close to the pools in lakes in the region.

Serge is the third casualty to be attacked by an alligator in Florida since last July.

With a single official observed perched atop the reptile, wildlife specialists pulled it from the water and discovered the alligator submerged at the pond’s depths.

Another senior woman lost her life in July 2022 when two alligators attacked her after she accidentally fell into a pond close to her residence at the Boca Royale Golf and Country Club in Englewood.

The woman’s identity remains undisclosed, as she fought to stay above water, two alligators were spotted approaching her. Subsequently, they seized her and prevented her from fleeing.

In May 2022, the body of Thomas Sean McGuinness, a 47-year-old man, was discovered missing three limbs at Lake Taylor in Largo, Florida.

According to the Miami Herald, the park houses an 18-hole disc golf course, with five holes next to the lake. Investigators now suspect that he had ventured into the 53-acre freshwater lake in search of unidentified flying objects when he was assaulted.

Authorities noted that the park management had reported that McGuinness was known to frequently enter the park and disregard the signs prohibiting swimming in the lake.

In the park, McGuinness was recognized for vending disks back to individuals, and a bystander also informed investigators that McGuinness was discovered just a few feet away from a disk submerged in the water.

Florida has a population of 1.3 million alligators, and they can be found in bodies of fresh water across all of its 67 counties, occasionally entering saltwater.

However, the occurrence of individuals being assaulted by alligators in the region is minimal.

Between 1948 and 2021, Florida has witnessed 442 unprovoked bite occurrences, out of which 26 led to human deaths.

Over the past ten years, Florida has averaged eight unprovoked bites per year that require enough serious medical treatment, according to the Commission on Wildlife and Fish Conservation website.

The likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident is approximately 3.1 million in one.

Following the assault that transpired yesterday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) affirmed, “Instances of serious harm inflicted by alligators in Florida are infrequent.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) operates a Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) to deal with concerns regarding particular alligators that are believed to endanger individuals, animals, or assets, and prioritizes the safety of the public.