Panicked 911 calls have revealed the terrifying moments a 58-year-old woman suffered gruesome injuries during a brutal alligator attack in August. Dina Rae Spann was kayaking with a group on Silver River in Ocala, Florida, when the alligator attacked, severing her right arm and biting off a finger from her left hand.
One 911 call, made by a witness on the tour, described the severity of Spann's injuries. "She lost half an arm," the panicked caller told the dispatcher, according to audio obtained by the New York Post. Screams were heard in the background, with one person stating, "Her arm is gone."
The witness described Spann's arm as "dangling off" and relayed that kayakers were trying to get her onto a passing boat. The caller repeatedly asked boaters for information on where they were taking Spann so emergency services could provide an address.
John Gamache, a boater who stopped to assist, recounted seeing the alligator's head "way above the water and going full speed towards the swimmers." He described the injury as "terrible, bones poking out, blood everywhere," emphasizing that "minutes mattered."
Spann's son, Zachary, told the Daily Mail that despite the traumatic injuries, his mother remained in good spirits, making jokes and maintaining her characteristic demeanor. He speculated that the alligator might have attacked because tourists had fed it, leading it to become less fearful of humans. "Alligators are normally timid and scared of humans," he noted.
After the rescue, first responders met the boat at the shore and transported Spann to the hospital. An alligator trapper was dispatched and located the reptile later that day. Spann has since begun a recovery process, sharing updates on social media. "Recovery isn't always pretty, but I'm learning to laugh through the hard parts and celebrate every little victory," she stated. "The gator got a piece of me. It didn't get the best of me."