Man Helps Rescue 77-Year-Old Woman Attacked by Alligator at Retirement Community: 'He Saved Her'

A Florida man came to his neighbor's rescue on Saturday after she was suddenly attacked by an alligator while walking at her retirement community.

Kathleen Marder, 77, was strolling by a pond at a gated community in Bradenton when she was bitten, according to a press release from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) that was obtained by PEOPLE.

Neighbor Gordon Silver told ABC affiliate WFTS-TV and FOX affiliate WOFL that the woman's life was saved thanks to another neighbor's quick thinking.

"He immediately started shouting and screaming and the gator turned around and went right into the water," Silver told WFTS-TV. "So you know, he saved her life really because who knows what would have happened after that."

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After the attack, officials from Manatee County responded to the scene and Marder was transported to a hospital for treatment, according to the FWC.

The commission said the gator that bit Marder was eventually caught and euthanized. "Officials are confident the responsible alligator was removed," they said in the statement.

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Saturday's attack is unlike anything Silver has seen in his five years living in the community, the neighbor told WFTS-TV and WOFL.

"Usually they run the other way," he said of the alligators that live nearby.

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Alligators rarely cause serious injury in Florida, according to the FWC. The commission has reported 22 alligator bites this year, per WFTS-TV and WOFL.

The FWC urges caution when coming in contact with alligators, including keeping one's distance and not feeding them.