Overview
- A woman swimming with a group in the Silver River was grabbed by an alligator after trying to push it away with a paddle, and the attack occurred on Saturday.
- Nearby boater John Gamache and his father raced to the scene, scared the alligator away, tied off the severe wound with rope and helped rush the victim to shore for emergency care.
- The woman underwent a traumatic right-arm amputation, was treated at a local hospital and has since been discharged to recover at home, according to her family.
- Florida Fish and Wildlife officers and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper located and removed a 9-foot-8-inch alligator the next day and Marion County reopened the affected stretch of the river after the capture.
- The incident is the latest in a string of Central Florida alligator encounters this summer and is likely to increase local focus on freshwater safety and on reporting nuisance animals to the FWC hotline.