Just as we love all wild life on Sanibel, we love our gators. Ironically, Olin lives on the same street as Sanibel's only other fatal gator attack victim. Since many of the residential neighborhoods on the Island contain lakes or interface with conservation lands containing wetlands, interaction between humans and alligators is likely. Second, a full grown alligator can exist on one raccoon for months. 2023 Sanibel Holiday All rights reserved. Melsek was just two years younger than Olin when a gator attacked her while she was doing landscaping on July 21, 2004, on Poinciana Circle near a pond. So it wouldve been devastating, so Im just happy that it turned out the way that it did, and I just want to let other people know that theyre actually there right off the causeway, and that, you know, for people to be careful.. The City of Sanibel | 800 Dunlop Road | Sanibel, FL 33957. Snakes or alligators on Captiva? - Captiva Island Forum Trappers later killed 10 alligators in the Dead River, including one they decided was responsible. Sanibel & SWFL- UPDATE 12/16/22 - Alligator Attack, FEMA Trailers Dog gets away safe after alligator lunges for it off Sanibel Causeway Enter your message or notes here to be included in the email. Janie Melsek Photo: The News-Press. That will require a bit (a lot) of a detour from going directly to Sanibel Island, as the spot to (maybe!) The gator weighed 100 pounds, but its sex was not immediately determined. If an Alligator is chasing you RUN STRAIGHT. You cant relocate them, he said. The 92 alligator was removed from the property, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Robert Steele, 82, was killed by a 10 foot, 9 inch-long gator Sept. 11, 2001, near his house on Rabbit Road in Sanibel on Sept. 11, 2001. May 13, 2006: On the same day Campbell's body was found, the body of Judy W. Cooper, 43, was found in a canal 20 miles north of St. Petersburg, in Pinellas County. WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables resident still refuses to sell decades-old home surrounded by massive development, Broward County pastor faces several fraud, grand theft charges after defrauding church, Gunman dead after hours-long SWAT standoff at SW Miami-Dade apartment complex, Police: Man fatally shot 3-year-old son, himself inside Coconut Grove condo, Police arrest student who made false bomb threat at Dillard High School; classes resume. He did a decent job because he made it very tight but also very wide.. VIDEO: 10-foot gator spotted lounging in Sanibel Island parking lot - WPTV Man bitten by alligator in Florida pond sustains "serious injury" WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. I think its up to the city of Sanibel to decide if their policy is appropriate and theyll take whatever action is necessary to protect the public.. Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 May 4, 2001: The chewed body of 70-year-old Samuel Wetmore was found floating in a south Sarasota County retention pond with an 8-foot alligator circling nearby. Sept. 26, 2004: Georgia college student Michelle Reeves, 20, drowned after an alligator bit off part of her right arm while she apparently went skinny-dipping in a lake in Fort Myers. It is also illegal. Administrative Services/ Human Resources/ Benefits/ Pensions, Business Tax Receipts (formerly Occupational Licenses), Police including Emergency Management Forms, Register with AlertLee for Emergency Announcements, Register for Recreation Center Activities, City of Sanibel Demographics - April 27, 2021, Commercial Hurricane Re-Entry Application. There have been 22 fatalities attributed to alligator bites and attacks since 1973, records show. Never feed Alligators, this will cause them to lose their natural fear of humans and associate humans with food. It was a bit of a struggle, Chief Barett said. Observe and photograph alligators only from a distance. "Actually the trappers were in there for a long time with hooks and we (law enforcement officials) were all standing there looking for the alligator," Adams said. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. So he wants everyone to remember to be cautious. Florida is one of their favorite habitats, of course! High temperatures will climb into the 80s and low 90s under mostly sunny skies. Fatality Rate: Alligator Attacks = 4.3% Shark Attacks = 1.5%. Wetmore suffered from dementia and was believed to have wandered away from his home. Recently, an alligator in a pond on Sanibel Island attacked a man who was washing his hands in the water. Pond Apple Trail 1159 Causeway Road. A chamber employee told a reporter the meeting was about alligators. She died at 9:15 a.m. Friday during surgery at Lee Memorial Hospital as doctors tried to combat the infection that spread through her body. J.N Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge There are often Alligator spottings on the Indigo trail/Wildlife drive, keep your eyes open for groups of people huddled around staring, this is usually a sign of a Gator spotting! Sanibel contains over 2,200 acres of freshwater wetlands that provide habitat for a sizable population of alligators. What went wrong: A look at the detainment and release of NFL player Nate Allen by Fort Myers police. She suffered a broken thumb and gashes on a leg. An 11-foot alligator killed an elderly man walking his dog by a canal, biting off part of his leg in the third deadly alligator incident in Florida this year. In April 2004, a 74-year-old woman was grabbed by the leg and pulled underwater by a 9-foot, 7-inch gator. They manage over 1200 acres of conserved land. SANIBEL, Fla. (WSVN) Rescue teams saved a man's life after a harrowing alligator attack in Sanibel. Alligator Attack Claims Landscape Contractor The man was able to free himself and call 911, but sustained serious injury to his right forearm, according to a release by the city of Sanibel. Alligator Safety Tips | City of Sanibel - Sanibel, Florida I can say that gentleman was sitting there with a temporary tourniquet, which is one of the things that saved his life from hemorrhaging, said Dr. Benjamin Abo. Recently, an alligator in a pond on Sanibel Island attacked a man who was washing his hands in the water. Gators are common in Florida and Chief Barrett said they respond to these types of calls more often than you will think. The man was able to free himself and call 911, but sustained serious injury to his right. To have it end this way is just so sad.. Lee County announced that several beach parksLynn Hall Memorial Park, San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve, Bonita Beach Park and Bonita Beach Accesses 1 to 10would reopen on Saturday. A trapper later killed the alligator. Murray and Adams say that people need to be aware of their surroundings, but as Adams said, even the trappers had a difficult time finding the gator in the pond where Olin was working. Sept. 11, 2001, 82-year-old Robert Steele had his leg severed and bled to death when he was attacked by a 10-foot alligator while walking his dog by a Sanibel Island canal. People can expect to [], A family in Texas has finally been reunited with their dog that ran away seven years ago. Do not allow pets to swim, exercise, or drink in waters that may contain alligators or in designated swimming areas with humans. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. An alligator attacked and dragged 2-year-old Lane Graves from the water's edge at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Feeding alligators is a criminal act, punishable with up to a $500 fine and 60 days in jail. It was evident that hed lost a lot of blood and potentially had other damage to his tendons, Abo said. Officials were about ready to give up nearly two hours into the hunt for the gator. It is a celebration of nature at its finest. Alligator attacks man who was washing hands in pond - Sun Sentinel The man was able to free himself and call 911, but sustained serious injury to his right forearm. Inform others that feeding alligators is illegal and creates problems for others who want to use the water for recreational purposes and ultimately results in the need to destroy the animal. Weve encroached upon their turf. I think its pretty scary, Ill tell you that, said Elaine Smith, a customer service representative at Bank of the Islands. Hes my service dog, so he saves my life a lot, Pitts said. Alligator Attacks - International Shark Attack File - Florida Museum According to the press release, the man suffered a serious injury to his right forearm. How much should your insurance company pay, and can an adjuster stack on costs? If you encounter a nuisance alligator or see someone feeding an alligator, IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE SANIBEL POLICE DEPARTMENT AT (239) 472-3111. Many people were calling for city officials to do something about the reptiles that have attacked three people on Sanibel since September 2001, killing two of them. Sheriff's divers recovered his body with injuries consistent with an alligator attack nine days after he was reported missing by his girlfriend, who said he told her he was going to commit burglaries. Kati Sherrard, who was hired to be the [], An alligator was captured in a Sanibel pond Thursday afternoon after the reptile seriously injured a man working on the island. Lost a lot of blood, but hes fine.. Trappers later caught and killed an 8-1/2-foot alligator that had some of her body parts in its belly. The dog, Jazzy, was found abandoned in a hotel room in Orlando earlier this month, Orange County Animal Services said on Facebook. The attack on Melsek made headlines internationally because of a heroic effort to save her by several men who heard her screams and Sanibel Police officers who rushed to her aid. Why were all of a sudden having a problem if what weve had is a problem I dont know., Before returning to his chores in a thicket next to his house, Yetsko said he hopes Sanibel residents can continue to live in harmony with nature., I guess you can do it, he said. The Truth About Alligators on Sanibel Island, The Best Sanibel Stories Come from Guests. Visit Gatorbites Website. There are several places to spot Alligators on Sanibel and, they are most active in the warmer months. But neither you nor your dog should approach the edges of fresh or brackish bodies of water as the enticement is great, but the risk is even greater. She later died of the wounds. Their metabolism is very slow and they are not the ravenous monsters some think they are. I thought about whether to post this news or. 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The construction can be seen all around, along with cranes, tools, and the crews doing all the work. Pitts says you never know whats lurking below the waters surface. Large alligator spotted roaming around Sanibel Island - YouTube Its the orange cord wrapped around his arm. An 11-foot-4-inch, 407-pound alligator that was confirmed to have killed her was euthanized.