Dina Rae Spann, Florida mom survives alligator attack only to lose right arm while swimming with friends in Marion County’s Silver River as boater, John Gamache is credited with saving her life according to victim’s family as mom is forced to have arm amputated.
A Florida woman survived an alligator attack over the weekend which left her with her right arm hanging off by a thread after she was pounced while swimming in a river.
Dina Rae Spann, 58, was enjoying a day with family boating on the Silver River in Florida’s Marion County when she became a victim of an alligator attack on Saturday afternoon.
The attack happened as Spann and a group of swimmers were in the springs with the reptile approaching. According to FOX13, Spann attempted to push the alligator away with a paddle, only for the alligator to grab her by the arm and pull her underwater.
Quick thinking boater hailed a hero
A boater upstream who had witnessed the commotion raced over, with the sound of the approaching boat leading to the gator releasing their victim.
‘I looked just upriver from us a couple hundred feet and saw an alligator head way above the water and going full speed towards the swimmers,’ boater, John Gamache said.
Gamache said because the spring water was crystal-clear, the boater was able to spot the danger immediately and speed towards the predator before the gator releasing Spann’s arm.
The attack led to bystanders using Spann’s bikini top as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding from her right arm according to the victim’s son.
Florida mom survives alligator attack
‘The gator came towards her and she tried to shoo it away with a stick and it attacked her,’ Zach Guerrina told the nypost. ‘She got on the bank, a boat pulled up, she got in there with them.’
‘They tied up the arm with an anchor rope as well, so it had her bathing suit top and an anchor rope on her right arm, and she was just as calm as a f–king cucumber,’ the son explained.
‘It was a crazy situation and she was the calmest one there, with her arm hanging off by a f–king thread.’
Florida mom forced to have right arm amputated
Upon the group reaching land, Spann was rushed to hospital where she had to have her arm amputated. The attack also left Spann also losing one finger on her left hand during the attack, FOX13 reported.
On Sunday, Spann’s family confirmed the mom had been discharged and was resting at home.
Her family credits the quick-thinking boater with saving her life.
The predator, a 9-foot-8-inch alligator was located on Sunday and removed from the area, FWC reported.
As of Aug. 9, the river has since been reopened to the public.
Related posts:
