Florida Mom, 58, Loses Arm in Horrific 10-Foot Alligator Attack After 'Ignoring' 'No Swimming' Warning
A Florida mom lost her arm in a 10-foot alligator attack.
Aug. 31 2026, Published 4:11 p.m. ET
A Florida mom who ignored a no-swimming sign lost her arm when a nearly 10-foot alligator that was lurking in the murky waters of a river tore into her limb, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Dina Rae Spann, 58, was with a group on the Silver River in Marion County in northern Florida when she decided to go for a dip on a sweltering day — despite posted warnings.
A Vicious Attack
A nearly ten-foot alligator attacked Dina Rae Spann in the Silver River.
The beast sidled up to her and sank its razor-sharp teeth into her right arm, then chomped off one of the fingers of her left hand and dragged her underwater as the river ran red with blood.
She struggled to keep its mouth closed so it wouldn’t bite her leg while making her way toward the surface for air, recounts her son, Zach Guerrina, who witnessed the incident.
John Gamache and his father were eating lunch on their boat nearby when they heard yelling.
A Desperate Rescue
Local boater John Gamache rushed to rescue the injured swimmer.
"I looked just upriver from us a couple hundred feet and saw an alligator head way above the water and going full speed towards the swimmers," he said.
He rushed toward Spann, who was clinging to a paddleboard with blood gushing from her injured arm.
"It was a terrible injury, bones poking out, blood everywhere," he said.
After helping her and the other swimmers onto his boat, Gamache used a rope as a tourniquet to stanch the bleeding.
He then sped to a nearby boat launch, where first responders were waiting to transport Spann to a hospital, where her arm was amputated below the elbow.
The Aftermath and Suspected Cause
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Local authorities maintained a strict swimming ban along the Silver River.
"She lost her right arm and one finger on the left, but she's strong. She’s good. She’s making jokes, she's just herself," her son said.
Spann's family later called Gamache to thank him for helping save her.
"We talked for a while, and it was heartwarming to hear them explain their emotions," Gamache said.
Swimming has long been banned at that spot — it’s unclear why Spann ignored the no-swimming sign.
Her son, who grew up nearby, blames out-of-state visitors who feed the beasts.
"It absolutely causes them to approach, when they feel like there is no threat. I've never seen anything like that," he said.
