FORT MYERS, Fla. (July 23) - A professional landscaper died Friday after being mauled by a 12-foot alligator that dragged her into a pond and nearly tore off one of her arms.

Janie Melsek, 54, was attacked Wednesday by the alligator as she worked on landscaping behind a home on Sanibel Island, just off the Florida coast in the Gulf of Mexico. After the animal pulled her into the water, a neighbor and police officers engaged in a fierce "tug-of-war" to pull her from the reptile's jaws.

Melsek died in surgery at Lee Memorial Hospital to treat an infection caused by the reptile's vicious bites. Doctors said her body simply shut down in response to the infection.

"My mom showed more courage than fear and I could not be more proud of her," said Melsek's daughter, Joy Williams, 29. "She's just absolutely amazed me and our whole community with the fight she put up."

Police killed the 457-pound alligator, which required six men to lift it to shore.

She was the 14th person known to have been fatally attacked by a Florida alligator since record keeping began.

Florida's alligator population had once dwindled to the point that the reptile was placed on the federal list of endangered species.

They have since rebounded to perhaps a million or more across the entire state, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They can now be killed during seasonal hunts conducted by the commission.


07/23/04 20:02 EDT

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press

Omg

And now that theyre coming back they want their territory back.
That sucks. Alligator steaks are good though.

My cousin lives in west palm beach on a golf course. There is a big alligator in the pond behind thier house, it swims between the ponds through the drainage system or some pipe network. All the locals know about it, hopefully no visitors find out the hard way. I sure as **** didnt go in the backyard by the water.

unbelievable!

God Bless

Thats what happens when we let the enviromental nuts take over. when we settled land in the past the idea was to eliminate dangerous animals from our communities to protect our families. Now these fools want to place them in our back yards. Absolute crxx!!!! Start killing the damm things down there!!!!!!!!

That suxs she probably never saw it coming


Here is a pick from the Tickfaw 200 poker run . We lassoed this one at the Prop Stop and played with it most of the day. I think it was use to people . He was not afraid of us until we put the dock line on him

Err, you do know that it's ilegal to molest the gator don't you? Not that I give a damn, but it is the law.

Debbie's daddy is an old gator poacher from way back. He tricked me into going gator hunting with him one time. I was never so scared in my life.

I need new boots