LEE COUNTY, Fla. – An 84-year-old woman in Florida saved her own life after punching an aggressive alligator in the face last week. North Fort Myers resident Dolores Boppel, 84, was taking her dog on a walk when the two encountered a gator on Thursday evening. Boppel had thrown her dog, a Shih Tzu, in the air as soon as the reptile began lunging at her.