Officials capture gator suspected of killing a man in Ida floodwaters

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) – Deputies have captured an alligator they believe attacked and killed a 71-year-old man in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

WVUE reports Timothy Sattlerlee Sr.’s wife saw an alligator attacking him Aug. 30.

The woman pulled Satterlee out of the floodwaters and then went to get help, but when she returned her husband was no longer lying on the steps where she had left him.

Deputies and other partners searched the area for three weeks looking for Satterlee or the alligator that attacked him.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office told WVUE Monday that officials caught a 12-foot alligator, weighing just over 500 pounds, in the same area the man was last seen.

Human remains were found in the gator’s stomach. The coroner will determine if they belong to Satterlee.

“This is a horrible tragedy, and my sincere condolences and sympathy goes to the Satterlee family. I know today’s findings does not bring their loved one back, but hopefully, this can bring them some sort of closure,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “I am very proud of the hard, nonstop 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.”