A paddleboarder recounted his efforts to fight off an alligator that attacked a swimmer in Florida's Silver River, an encounter that resulted in the victim's arm being amputated.
Mike Head was with his wife and children on Saturday afternoon when he saw the alligator approaching the female swimmer "like a missile" in the Silver River in Marion County. By the time Head reached the woman, the alligator had already clamped down on her arm.
"I couldn't swing because I knew I was going to hit her in the head from my position, so I come around the other side," Head told Fox 35. "And then I swing, because I can see it still, and I don’t know if I hit it or not. I just know that it was gone after I hit."
Another boater assisted in pulling the woman to shore. Head used a rope to tie off her bleeding wound. Relatives informed Fox 35 that the victim is now recovering at home and is in good spirits, despite the amputation of her right arm.