By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-10 16:19:05 | Updated at 2026-08-10 17:16:27
1 hour ago
A Florida woman lost her right arm after surviving an alligator attack while swimming.
The victim, who has yet to be identified, was with her family in the Silver River on Saturday when the 9ft 8in reptile struck, dragging her underwater.
She fought back with a paddle, desperately trying to fend off the predator, but it bit her arm. A heroic bystander then rushed to her aid, helping save her life.
Good Samaritan John Gamache and his father were eating lunch on their boat nearby when they heard the attack unfold.
Gamache spotted the approaching reptile in the crystal-clear spring water and sped his boat toward the group.
'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,' Gamache said.
By the time he reached the victim, the alligator had let go, while the sound of the boat sent the predator fleeing.
The injured woman was clinging to a paddleboard when the boaters arrived.
An alligator was spotted at Silver River in Florida on Sunday, one day after a woman was attacked while swimming with her family
Good Samaritan John Gamache says he heard the victim's frantic cries and rushed to help
Seeing the severity of her injuries, Gamache sprang into action, using a rope to fashion a tourniquet and stem the bleeding from her mangled arm.
'It was a terrible injury, bones poking out, blood everywhere. Obviously, the minutes mattered,' Gamache told FOX35.
The boaters pulled the remaining swimmers aboard and raced to shore, where first responders met them and took the injured woman to the hospital.
The victim's family confirmed she is recovering from the attack but her arm was amputated as a result of her injuries.
She was discharged from the hospital on Sunday and is now recovering at home, her family added.
An alligator trapper was called to the scene to track down the reptile, which was located later that day, officials said.
Gamache said the victim's family was deeply grateful for his heroic efforts and thanked him over the phone.
First responders met the family at the scene and took the injured woman to the hospital
The incident unfolded in the Silver River on Saturday
'They called earlier and we talked for a while and it was heartwarming to hear them explain their emotions,' Gamache told the outlet.
'We're glad that it happened as good as it could have. Like the result is just the sustained injury and nothing more,' he added.
Following the attack, Marion County officials temporarily closed the river while the alligator was captured. It reopened to the public on Sunday.
