Alligator suspected of attacking man in Ida floodwaters captured
The coroner's office will now get involved.
Officials believe they have recovered the alligator involved in a gruesome attack on a 71-year-old man as he waded through Hurricane Ida floodwaters.
On August 30, the alligator attacked Timothy Satterlee Sr. of Slidell, Louisiana in his shed. His wife helped fend off the alligator and then went to get help. When she returned, Satterlee had disappeared.
On Monday, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office announced traps were used to capture a 3.6 metre, 228 kilogram alligator not far from Satterlee's home.
Upon investigation, apparent human remains were found in its stomach. The local coroner's office will now get involved to determine if the remains belong to Satterlee.
Officers performing a search. (St. Tamany Parrish Sherriff's Office)
“This is a horrible tragedy and my sincere condolences and sympathy goes to the Satterlee family," Sheriff Randy Smith said in a statement.
"I know [the] findings does not bring their loved one back, but hopefully this can bring them some sort of closure. I am very proud of the hard, non-stop work, of my deputies and the other agencies who assisted, and I hope their persistence in finding this alligator will help the family with coping with their loss. We will continue to keep them in our prayers."
Ida made landfall in southeastern Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on August 29, with maximum winds of 240 kilometres per hour. The ensuing wind damage, devastating storm surge, and torrential rain left behind widespread damage.
More than a million buildings lost power and at least 28 people were killed during the storm.
