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The woman who lost her right arm in a vicious alligator attack in Florida on Saturday has been identified as Dina Rae Spann.
The attack happened Saturday afternoon in the Silver River in Marion County, where Spann was swimming with a group, the New York Post reported.
Spann, 58, was trying to keep the alligator’s mouth closed while making her way toward the surface for air, her son, Zach Guerrina, told the news outlet.
FLORIDA WOMAN LOSES ARM IN SILVER RIVER ALLIGATOR ATTACK AS BOATER RACES TO SAVE HER LIFE
“It had her, but she said she was trying to make sure it didn’t get to her legs,” he said.
Spann also suffered an injury to her left hand during the struggle, losing part of her ring finger, Guerrina said. Her right arm was ultimately amputated below the elbow.
Nearby, John Gamache, a longtime visitor to the Silver Springs area, and his father were having lunch on their boat when they heard people yelling for help.
“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 told FOX 35 Orlando.
Gamache quickly headed toward the group in his boat.
By the time he reached the swimmers, the alligator had released Spann — and the activity from the approaching boat appeared to drive the animal away, according to the outlet.
He found Spann holding onto a paddleboard with a severe arm injury. He took rope from his boat and used it as a makeshift tourniquet to help control the bleeding.
“It was a terrible injury, bones poking out, blood everywhere,” Gamache said. “Obviously, the minutes mattered.”
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Despite the severity of her injuries, Guerrina said his mother remained remarkably calm as those around her worked to help.
After helping the other swimmers onto the boat, Gamache and his father took the group to a nearby boat launch, where first responders were waiting.
Spann was transported to a hospital following the attack.
By Sunday, her family said she was back home and in good spirits despite losing her right arm, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
In the aftermath of the attack, authorities temporarily closed the Silver River while wildlife officials searched the area.
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A contracted nuisance alligator trapper removed a 9-foot-8-inch alligator on Sunday, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Officials later lifted the temporary closure of the river.
The attack was unlike anything Gamache had witnessed there before, he said.
Officials later lifted the temporary closure of the river.
Spann’s family later contacted him to thank him for coming to her aid.
“They called earlier, and we talked for a while, and it was heartwarming to hear them explain their emotions,” Gamache said.
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“We’re glad that it happened as good as it could have,” he added.
“The result is just the sustained injury and nothing more.”
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