Authorities in St. Tammany Parish are continuing their search for the victim in an apparent alligator attack.
A Slidell woman told deputies she was in her home Monday when she heard a commotion and went outside to find a large alligator attacking her husband, who was walking in flood waters left after Hurricane Ida. She ran to stop the attack, then pulled her husband out of the water and returned inside to get first aid supplies. When she returned and realized how severe his injuries were, deputies say she got into her pirogue and went to get help. She returned to find her husband was no longer there.
Deputies used high water vehicles and flatboats Monday, and Special Operations Deputies and Wildlife and Fisheries searched Tuesday but all efforts were unsuccessful. Wednesday, deputies continued their search with a representative of Louisiana Search and Rescue and a K9 tracked in tracking scents. The sheriff's office said they were still searching as of Wednesday afternoon.
The sheriff's office shared a Facebook post made by a resident who lives in the same neighborhood as the victim and his wife, just a few doors down. The post includes a photo of the alligator, which the poster says "watched my Dad closely when he waded out in the water to shut off their gas...He also tried to climb their bird feeder pole. When I kayaked to Mom and Dad's house, her first words to me was 'be careful there's an alligator in the water.'"
Deputies say they are still doing all they can to locate the victim and are keeping his wife in their thoughts and prayers.
Here's the sheriff's office's post, including more photos of the search:
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