11-year-old gator victim: ‘Something just bit me’

LABADIEVILLE — Sixth-grader Macey Clement and her family of Labadieville had plans to watch the boat racing Saturday in Morgan City. But an alligator’s bite derailed them.
Macey, 11, was bitten by a gator at Lake End Park in Morgan City. She received only minor injuries.
“I was just lying on my stomach watching my older sister’s godchild play in the water,” Macey said.
When Macey stood, the water came up to the middle of her lower legs.
Her sister, Lacey, 24, took a picture of her and the godchild.
“Not even two minutes later, she came running out of the water,” Lacey Clement said.
After having her picture taken, Macey felt a bite on her left arm. With most of her body submerged, she was unable to see what caused the bite.
“All of a sudden something just bit me,” Macey said. “My adrenaline just starting pumping so all I could think about was to run.”
The alligator bit down on Macey’s arm, but its grip was loose enough for her to push the reptile off.
Macey grabbed the 4-year-old godchild as she tried to escape the alligator. With the bite taking its toll on her arm, she asked an unidentified boy nearby to take the little girl out of the water.
When Macey ran over to her mother and sister, Lacey Clement thought first that the marks on her sister’s arm were duck scratches.
But a closer look revealed large tooth indentations.
The boy asked to secure the godchild returned to the water and spotted the alligator.
Lacey Clement went to the water and saw the alligator, too.
Immediately, the older sister hopped on her bike shouting out for someone to help her sister.
By coincidence, a first responder from Thibodaux was in the area. He attended to Macey’s wounds.
“He did a nice job cleaning up the wound," said Macey's father, Joe Clement.
Lacey Clement took off on her bike to notify Lake End's office attendant of the alligator sighting.
“They acted like they didn’t even care,” said Lacey Clement.
Without an immediate response from the office attendant, “you still had people swimming in the water,” said Lacey Clement said.
Once the Lake End Park visitors realized what the commotion was about, they got out of the water.
Macey’s family took her to Teche Regional Medical Center’s emergency room. When they returned to Lake End from the hospital, Morgan City police officers were there.
Later, Morgan City Police Chief James Blair and Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi arrived, Joe Clement said.
“The four of them together said the best thing to do was to take the gator out before it hurts anybody else,” Joe Clement said.
The alligator still was a “nuisance to the public in the beach area,” Morgan City Police Chief James Blair said.
“The alligator showed no fear of person or swimmer. It posed a risk so we decided to go ahead and remove it.”
“It could’ve taken the 4-year-old and Macey out,” her father said. “I’m glad the mayor, chief of police, and Morgan City officers took the gator out.”
Macey’s parents appreciate the care given to their daughter by the medical team at Teche. She was seen immediately to make sure she did not have any broken bones or other issues related to the bite.
“Thank God she hit him, [alligator] because she and the baby could have been gone,” Joe Clement said.
Macey, who is somewhat apprehensive about returning to the water, advises other young people to “make sure you have someone with you while playing in the water so if something happens you can get help.”
This story was written by Shea Drake. She can be reached at sdrake@daily-review.com.