The woman attacked on Saturday by an alligator while swimming in the Silver River, east of Ocala in Marion County, Florida, lost her right arm, and by this Monday she was already at home recovering.
The attack occurred around 2:20 in the afternoon, when the victim and a group of swimmers were enjoying the springs of the Silver River, near Ray Wayside Park. According to the family, the woman tried to fend off the reptile with a paddle, but the animal grabbed her by the arm and dragged her underwater, local media reported.
People in the area rescued her and brought her to the shore. A nearby swimmer was credited by the family as being crucial in saving her life by using a rope as an improvised tourniquet.
The victim was taken to UF Health Shands hospital in Gainesville as a trauma alert, where doctors amputated her right arm. By this Monday, the woman had already returned home and was in "good spirits."
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) located an alligator measuring 9 feet and 8 inches (approximately 2.95 meters) in the area of the attack, and an authorized hunter captured it. The section of the river was temporarily closed during the search operations and was reopened to the public this Sunday after the reptile was captured.
The incident adds to a series of attacks reported in Florida during the summer of 2026, particularly concentrated in Marion County. At the end of June, a 19-year-old was bitten while snorkeling in the Rainbow River, and an 11-year-old boy lost his right hand at Nelson Fish Camp when his father jumped on the reptile in an attempt to pry its jaws open.
The most severe incident of the summer occurred on June 28, when Brittany Clark, 31, died in the Econlockhatchee River in Seminole County after being attacked by an alligator that bit off her arm while she was swimming with her boyfriend and a friend. DNA evidence identified the culprit as an approximately four-meter-long specimen. It was the 33rd fatal attack in Florida's history since 1948.
Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators of all sizes, according to data from the FWC. The agency had recorded a total of 500 unprovoked bites since 1948 as of February 2026, with 346 serious injuries and 32 fatalities. In 2025, there were 27 attacks reported, two of which were fatal, marking a 12% increase from the previous year.
Experts point out that high summer temperatures accelerate the metabolism of reptiles, making them more active, while drought may drive them into areas frequented by humans. Josh Swander, a tour guide and wildlife photographer, succinctly summarized the situation when he told WESH 2: "I've lived my entire life in Florida, and I've never experienced a summer with so many alligator attacks in the state. It’s crazy."
FWC recommends swimming only in designated areas and during the day, keeping a distance from alligators, not feeding them, and reporting any animal that poses a threat to 866-FWC-GATOR.
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