Alligator Bites Off Woman’s Arm In Florida, Kayaker Rescues Her By Beating Gator With Paddle

A Florida woman’s arm was bitten off by a large alligator as she swam in the Wekiva River. The 37-year-old woman allegedly swam to a more remote section of the popular tourist spot when the attack took place. Fortunately, a passing kayaker heard the woman’s screams and bolted into action. The kayaker went to the woman and beat the beast with a kayak paddle until it let her go.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that the 37-year-old alligator victim was swimming at the popular tourist area at Wekiva River. The woman, along with a few other members of her group, decided to swim to a more secluded area. However, once in the area, the woman was attacked by what officials claim was a 10-to-12 foot long alligator. People canoeing and kayaking the area say that they saw the woman swimming and yelled out to her to get out of the water as they had seen numerous alligators in the area along the bank. However, the kayakers say the woman kept swimming despite their warnings.

As the kayakers looked on in horror, they say they saw jaws chomp down on the woman’s arm and pull her under the water. The witnesses say as the woman came thrashing up she was screaming.

“We see the jaws just chomp down on her arm, and it starts spinning around, pulls her underwater, goes back up. She’s just screaming. Her arm was gone.”

A kayaker in the area came to her aide and began beating the alligator with a paddle until it released the woman. After the alligator left, a group on canoes and kayaks brought the injured woman to safety.

On the beach it was noted that there was “nothing” but blood and some bone left of the woman’s arm, it was completely gone from the shoulder down. The woman was rushed to a nearby hospital and her condition is unknown.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reports that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are searching for the alligator. Professional hunters are currently tracking the alligator and are expected to kill it once it is found. The last fatal alligator attack in Florida took place in 2007, but just two weeks ago, a worker at Forever Florida was bitten on the thigh by an alligator as he cleaned vegetation in waist-deep water.

Do you think they should kill the alligator once they track it down? Or should the victim take responsibility for the attack as the area was posted with numerous signs warning of alligators in the area.

[Image Credit: Getty Images/ Matt Stroshane]