74-year-old Florida woman and her dog attacked by alligator in Boca Raton

Boca Raton, Florida – For Florida dog owners evening walks before the sunsets are a typical part of their everyday routine. This routine has completely changed for a Florida woman after a traumatic incident — she and her dog were attacked by an alligator during their evening stroll.

74-year-old Suzan Marciano was walking her golden retriever mix, Nalu, near a lake at Burt Aaronson Park west of Boca Raton on Aug. 24 when the incident happened.

The woman took the dog off the leash and it ran into the water when a 6-foot-long gator attacked, according to the report.

Marciano fought back immediately.

“I wasn’t thinking,” she said. “I did the only thing I could do. I came down on the alligator with all my weight.”

Fortunately, both she and Nalu survived the attack, and are slowly making full recoveries.

According to officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), they were unable to locate the alligator after the incident.