Overview
- A woman who was bitten while swimming in the Silver River was pulled from the water by nearby boaters, given emergency first aid and taken to a local hospital.
- John Gamache and his father, who were eating lunch nearby, tied off the victim’s severe arm wound and helped get other swimmers to safety.
- The victim’s family reported she suffered a traumatic right‑arm amputation and has since been discharged to recover at home.
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper located and removed a 9‑foot‑8‑inch alligator, and the Silver River was temporarily closed and has since reopened.
- Officials point to several recent alligator encounters in Central Florida this summer and direct the public to the FWC nuisance alligator hotline for reported threats to swimmers and boaters.