A swimmer in Florida's Silver River had her arm severed by a 10-foot alligator during a Saturday afternoon attack. The incident concluded when a nearby boater, John Gamache, intervened, scaring the alligator away and rendering aid.
Gamache, who was on his boat, heard cries for help and observed the alligator moving at high speed towards the swimmers. He stated he saw an alligator head above the water moving rapidly towards the group. The sound of his boat reportedly caused the animal to retreat, but not before inflicting severe injuries on the woman.
"It was a terrible injury, bones poking out, blood everywhere. Obviously, the minutes mattered," Gamache told FOX35. He used a rope from his boat to secure the wound while his father helped other swimmers and children in the water reach safety on the boat and then the shore.
First responders transported the woman to a hospital. Her family confirmed on Sunday that she has been released and is recovering at home, expressing gratitude to Gamache for his rapid assistance.
"They called earlier, and we talked for a while, and it was heartwarming to hear them explain their emotions," Gamache said. "We’re glad that it happened as good as it could have. Like the result is just the sustained injury and nothing more."
Gamache, a lifelong visitor to the Silver Springs area, noted he had not previously witnessed an alligator attack there. In response to the incident, a trapper removed the approximately 9-foot-8-inch alligator from the water. The Silver River was temporarily closed but reopened to the public on Sunday.