SUN CITY HILTON HEAD, S.C. — A 77-year-old man was enjoying himself while gardening in his back yard when he was attacked by an alligator who suddenly appeared from a nearby pond, according to Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Fortunately for Joseph Roeser, his wife heard his desperate cries for help.
Marian Roeser didn’t panic even though she had every right too, but instead she grabbed a tomato stake — that’s right, a tomato stake — and turned it into a much-needed weapon.
Marian was able to distract the reptile enough where it stopped attacking her husband and although the elderly gentleman suffered injuries from the gator’s bites and a fall, he is expected to be all right.
“I just grabbed the closest thing I could find — a tomato stake — and started attacking the alligator’s eyes and head,” Marian Roeser said, according to the sheriff’s office report. “I knew I had to do whatever it took to save my husband.”
Marian was able to get Joseph inside the couple’s home before calling authorities. Joseph did make a trip to the hospital.
The alligator was euthanized by Department of Natural Resources contractors because of his aggressive nature, according to yahoo.com.
When alligators are referenced, you can’t help but think Florida. But authorities in South Carolina have made it their business to warn residents to never let their guard down, especially during the spring and summer months.