When a 74-year-old Florida woman saw her golden retriever being attacked by an alligator, she didn’t hesitate. Her brave response saved her dog’s life—though both were left injured and shaken.
Some people say they’d do anything for their pets — and for one Florida woman, that proved absolutely true. In a terrifying and heroic moment, 74-year-old Suzan Marciano risked her own life to save her golden retriever from the grip of a wild alligator. Suzan, a resident of Boca Raton, was walking her dog Nalu along the edge of a lake on the evening of August 24. It had been a typical stroll, with some light playtime and a dip in the water to cool off. But things took a frightening turn when she spotted something unusual in the lake. After tossing a few sticks for Nalu to fetch, the dog wandered chest-deep into the calm water. Then Suzan noticed a dark shape silently gliding beneath the surface.
Her heart dropped. In moments, the shape—an alligator estimated to be over six feet long—snapped its jaws around her dog. “I saw this dark shadow just zoom toward him,” Suzan told the Palm Beach Post. “And then it was chaos.” Acting purely on instinct and love, the 74-year-old did the unthinkable—she jumped into the water and threw herself onto the alligator to force it to release Nalu. “I did the only thing I could do. I came down on the alligator with all my weight,” she explained. The gator released its grip on the dog but then redirected its aggression toward Suzan, biting her on the hand. “It was all one big blur,” she said. “I was in such shock. I didn’t even feel any pain.”
Despite the dangerous encounter, both Suzan and Nalu survived. They were quickly taken for medical care. Suzan needed five stitches for puncture wounds on her hand, while Nalu underwent a two-hour surgery to treat injuries to her stomach and thigh. While they recovered physically, the psychological toll was more difficult to shake. Suzan admitted she was haunted by the incident, and afraid to return to the park where it happened. “I kept seeing the shadow and those two eyes in the water. It wouldn’t leave me,” she said.
Following the attack, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the area but was unable to locate the alligator. A spokesperson for the agency assured the public that they proactively address potential alligator threats in populated areas. The ordeal was a chilling reminder of how dangerous Florida’s natural landscapes can be—but also an inspiring example of courage and unconditional love. Though injured and deeply shaken, Suzan and Nalu are alive thanks to her quick-thinking and fearless intervention.
