A 71-year-old Louisiana man is presumed lifeless after an alligator lurking in Hurricane Ida’s floodwaters attacked him on Monday.

Hurricane Ida has been an unthinkable local weather horror, killing no less than 5 individuals, leaving the total metropolis of New Orleans with out energy, destroying houses, and flooding communities. But these selecting up the items have additionally needed to cope with wildlife, together with a number of the most fearsome creatures of the bayous.

The man’s spouse recounted the chilling story to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office: She mentioned her husband was exterior working in the couple’s shed when she heard a loud sound whereas inside their home. She ran out to seek out a big alligator attacking him and helped repel the reptile and produce her husband to security. She went again inside to get medical provides, however realized the severity of his ensuing wounds—dreadfully, the alligator bit off one of many man’s arms—required extra severe assist. So the lady boated a mile (1.6 kilometers) away to search for help, however when she returned, her husband was nowhere to be discovered.

Law enforcement continues to be investigating the assault and looking for the person. On Monday, they spent six hours wading by knee-deep floodwaters with boats and high-water autos. But to this point, “all attempts have been futile,” the sheriff’s workplace mentioned in a press release.

The couple lived within the Avery Estates in Slidell, situated northeast of New Orleans close to the brackish waters of the Big Branch National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge and different swamps across the space are recognized houses for alligators. The shed the place the person was attacked stood beneath the home, which is raised and surrounded by marsh.

“It was not uncommon for people to see alligators seven feet or longer,’’ Captain Lance Vitter of the sheriff’s office told the New York Times.

Local news station WWL-TV also spoke with the couple’s neighbors, who confirmed that they have seen numerous large alligators especially because some residents feed them.

The story points to one of the many dangers in the wake of Ida’s rampage. The parish’s fire department found a snake slithering around one of their bays, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has warned residents to watch out in areas where floodwaters may “force wildlife from flooded habitat into adjacent residential and commercial areas.” Being conscious of what wildlife is close by is as a lot for people’ security as it’s for animals. The story from Avery Estates can also be a tragic reminder of how growth has infringed on the pure world and put individuals and wildlife more and more in competitors—and the way conflicts can come up, notably when different crises hit.