SLIDELL, La. – A man in his 70s is presumed dead after he was attacked by an alligator outside his Louisiana home while wading through floodwaters caused by Hurricane Ida.
The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office said it received a 911 call around noon Monday from the man’s wife.
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According to sheriff’s officials, the man’s wife said her husband went downstairs, where there was about 4 feet of floodwaters, to check on the shed when he was attacked.
“She opened the back door and saw he was getting attacked by an alligator,” Capt. Lance Vitter said. “She tried her best to fend off the alligator. When it released the gentleman, she pulled him up onto the steps to render aid. When deputies got out there, they noticed a large amount of blood and learned from his spouse that the body was no longer present.”
Investigators searched for the man’s body but have not yet located it.
Sheriff Randy Smith warned residents to be extra vigilant with walking in flooded areas because wildlife has been displaced due to the storm.