Clearwater woman bitten but escapes alligator

Drew Harwell

St. Petersburg Times
Times Staff Writer

Sep 25, 2009 04:18 PM

CLEARWATER —

A Clearwater woman walking her dog by Sawgrass Lake Park was bitten by an 8-foot alligator before she fought back and escaped.

Diane Blackwood was walking her Vizsla about 4:30 p.m. Monday when she noticed a swirl in the lake, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Gary Morse.

Suddenly, the alligator surfaced and bit Blackwood, who was about three feet from the water's edge. The gator began to drag her toward the lake. Her dog took off running.

Blackwood's calf was in the gator's jaws when she reached back and stuck her thumb in its eye, Morse said. The gator released its grip and bit at her thumb, allowing her to run away.

She was taken to Morton Plant Mease for treatment of a large bite wound on her left calf, a puncture wound on her thumb and a scratch on her right hand, Morse said. She can still walk and was released from the hospital soon after.

The gator, which Morse estimated was a male and about 10 to 12 years old, was caught by a trapper late Tuesday night and killed. It was found by matching its bite size to the mark on Blackwood's leg. The gator's meat and hide will be sold, Morse said, and the profit will go toward the state's nuisance alligator program.

"These gators that tend to not be afraid of people tend to be the ones who come running when you throw the bait," Morse said. "They came to you, and this one did that without any hesitation."

Blackwood, who has a PhD in marine sciences, grew up in Clearwater and is familiar with the alligators, Morse said. Her response to the bite was a good defense, he said.

"Most gators you're not going to have a problem with," Morse said. "But when you're walking a dog, which is a four-legged animal, somewhat similar to natural prey items — we tell people to avoid walking their dogs by the edge of the lake for that very reason."

JIM DAMASKE | Times ]Diane Blackwood was walking her Vizsla, Ritka, and her dachshund, Beka, at Sawgrass Lake Park on Monday when an eight-foot alligator clamped down on her calf. She gouged it in the eye with her thumb and it let go.