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Woman dies after gator mauling

The 54-year-old succumbed to an infection from the bites, doctors say.

FORT MYERS -- A woman who was mauled by an alligator died Friday in surgery to treat an infection caused by the animal's bites.

Janie Melsek, 54, died at Lee Memorial Hospital. Doctors said her body simply shut down in response to the infection.

"My mom showed more courage than fear, and I could not be more proud of her," said Melsek's daughter, Joy Williams, 29.

Melsek was attacked Wednesday by a 12-foot, 450-pound alligator as she worked on landscaping behind a home on Sanibel Island.

The alligator dragged her into a pond, tearing at her right arm so severely that part of it was later amputated.

A neighbor who heard her screams was joined by police officers to save her from the reptile's jaws in what was described as a fierce tug of war.

Police killed the alligator, which was so large it took six men to lift it to shore.

Despite the state's estimated population of 1 million alligators, encounters that end in human deaths are rare. Since 1973, there have been 14 fatal alligator attacks reported in Florida.

In September 2001, 82-year-old Robert Steele had his leg severed and bled to death when he was attacked by a 10-foot alligator while walking his dog on Sanibel Island.

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