Rake Saves Retiree During Gator Attack
Alligator Still On The Loose
Ralph Othus, 78, said that he was out raking weeds by the canal
behind his mobile-home, when he was approached by a
fast-moving, 10-or 12-foot-long male alligator.
"If you've ever seen one move, they are like lightning,"
Othus said.
Othus lives in a mobile home community with 280 homes linked
by small waterways to the Dora Canal in Tavares.
He had seen the alligator basking in the waters near his home
for the past couple of months.
If not for his rake, Othus said that he might not be around to talk
about the experience.
The alligator, he said, was clearly in
"attack mode" when it lunged toward him from the shallow water.
"The only thing I could do is stick the rake in his mouth,"
Othus said. "I happened to be in the right position with a rake at
the time."
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission considered Othus' report an "emergency complaint'' and
dispatched a trapper to the scene Monday morning, said commission
spokeswoman Joy Hill.
By Tuesday morning, the state-permitted trapper still had not
caught the alligator, which may weigh 400 pounds or more.
"At this point, we're just waiting for the gator to take the
bait," Hill said.
Meanwhile, state investigators said that they've found no negligence
in a deadly alligator attack on a 2-year-old Winter Haven girl last
month.
The report said that the death of toddler Alexandria Murphy on June
23 was "a tragic accident." The girl had climbed over a fence in
her back yard and wandered away to Lake Cannon, where she was
attacked and killed.
"In our opinion the death did not result from criminal
conduct on the part of any individual," Assistant State Attorney
John Aguero wrote in his report to Polk County authorities.
The 6-foot-6-inch alligator was later trapped and destroyed.
Copyright 2003 by Local6.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.






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