Overview
- A woman was attacked while swimming with a group in the Silver River near Ocala on Saturday when an alligator grabbed her right arm and dragged her underwater; her family says the injury resulted in a traumatic amputation and she has since been discharged and is recovering at home.
- Nearby Good Samaritans intervened within minutes: boater John Gamache and paddleboarder Mike Head helped scare the alligator off, tied a rope tourniquet to control severe bleeding, and transported the group to shore where first responders took over.
- Florida Fish and Wildlife officers and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper located and removed a roughly 9-foot-8-inch alligator on Sunday, and Marion County reopened the previously closed section of the Silver River after the animal was caught.
- The attack is one of several serious gator incidents in Florida this summer, including a late June fatality, which has increased public concern about swimmer and paddler safety in inland springs and rivers.
- FWC emphasizes its Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program and a toll-free hotline for reporting hazardous animals and officials warn that warmer summer conditions and reduced habitat can make alligators more visible in freshwater areas.