Officials north of New Orleans are investigating the death of a 71-year-old man.
The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office (STPSO ) said they are investigating an apparent alligator attack, which occurred around midday on Monday.
The sheriff’s office said a resident in Avery Estates off of Highway 90 in Slidell, Louisiana contacted their office after her 71-year-old husband was attacked and apparently killed by an alligator while walking in floodwaters following Hurricane Ida.
The woman told deputies she was inside her residence when she heard a commotion and went outside to see a large alligator attacking her husband. She immediately ran to her husband’s aide in an attempt to stop the attack. Once the attack stopped, she pulled her husband out of the floodwaters and returned inside to gather first aid supplies.
When she returned and realized the severity of his injuries she left to get help. The woman immediately got into her small boat called a pirogue and went to higher ground. The higher ground was approximately a mile away. When she returned her husband was no longer lying on the steps, according to authorities.
The sheriff’s office used high water vehicles and flatboats in an attempt to locate the man, however, those efforts proved futile, officials said Monday.
Sheriff Randy Smith warned residents to be extra vigilant with walking in flooded areas as wildlife has been displaced as well during this storm. Alligators and other animals may have moved closer into neighborhoods, added Smith.
