Tampa, FL - A Tampa woman’s evening walk turned into a life-or-death struggle when an alligator allegedly lunged at her dog, dragging it into the water—prompting her to leap into action without hesitation.
Kimberly Spencer was walking her nine-year-old rescue dog, Kona, near a neighborhood lake when she suddenly heard movement in the water.
Within seconds, a six-foot alligator allegedly burst from the lake and clamped its jaws around Kona’s head and shoulder.
According to Spencer, the alligator was only about ten feet from the shore when it attacked.
Acting on instinct, she dove onto the reptile’s back and began trying to pry its mouth open with her bare hands.
“I jumped on it and straddled it, doing everything I could to get her out,” she later told reporters.
Spencer managed to free her dog from the gator’s grip, and both made it out alive.
Kona suffered serious bite wounds to her shoulder but is expected to fully recover. Spencer also sustained injuries to her hands that required stitches.
Despite the trauma, she said she wouldn’t think twice about doing it again. “I couldn’t live with myself if I let her be taken away,” she said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed the alligator was approximately six and a half feet long.
A state-licensed trapper has since removed it from the area.
Wildlife officials continue to remind residents to be cautious near lakes and ponds, especially during warmer months when alligators are most active.
Photo: Robert Loe / Moment / Getty Images